sapphi_snake said:
.. as an atheist. But I'm afraid to tell my parents. It's terrbile! I can't keep living a lie! I can't keep pretending to be someone I'm not! I'm tired of the atheist closet! It's cramp and there's barely enough air to breathe.
But I'm afraid they'll reject me and throw me out. I don't wanna live on the streets. I'll never be able to compete with the professional hobos.It's a tough world out there and I have 0 street cred.
And what if the force me to see a priest and try to "fix" me. What if they take me to some Christian camp where I'm bombarded constantly on how I'm living a sick twisted lifestyle and that I'm gonna burn in hell? What if they try to brainwash me???
Has anyone here had to tell their (very religous) parents that they became atheist/converted to another religion? How did you tell your parents? How did they take it? All advice/stories are welcomed.
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I am very sorry for your predicament. I'm personally religious and in my religious philosophy I hold firmly to the principle of individual investigation of truth. No one should simply inherit the beliefs of their parents / family / nation / culture.
I can certainly see how in the fundamentalist environment an individual will mostly go 1 of 2 ways: complete acceptance, or total rejection of the fundamentalist dogma. I say if you have to be completely intolerant of any beliefs other than that of your parent's church in order for your religious views to be acceptable to them, then atheism is preferrable. It's a rather sad thought that you end up completely rejecting something that is very important to your parents, but it's the right thing to do. I just hope that in your holding to atheism you don't become fanatically intolerant of all religion.
You need to be true to your beliefs, and tell your parents. But you also need to be tactful and wise in your approach. Don't just hit them with the a-bomb straight up, try to be subtle and bring them to the realisation gradually. But in the end, if they are as fundie as you say you're going to get a lot of grief. You may have to keep the a-word from them until you are living independantly. This sort of thing is kinda beyond my experience, I really don't know any religious people who spew the vitriol at people because they are a different religion, or are atheist, let alone would mis-treat their own kids.
“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
Jimi Hendrix
