What were the reactions of your friends and family?

[bobhikes]

My family is aware as its probably the only place I discuss religion other than here. There opinion is that eventually I will change my belief, however they are more and more turning from the church.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Mix in my family. No real squabbles that i know of.

 

[Lady of Permutations]

No one cared. They found the term "atheist" a little off-putting when I brought it up, but that was it. It was actually kind of disappointing.

 

[ShallowAbyss]

Nobody in my family knows I'm an atheist besides my immediate family. However, they don't care. I find that surprising because my father is a devout Roman Catholic, but I still got no reaction when I blatantly broke the news.

 

[yoda89]

I grew up in the southern states of the United States. Which has the nickname of bible-belt for very good reason. Christianity is taught, preached everywhere and people tend to not question what they are taught religiously. People who don't practice do not really bring it up either. In many rural places it is considered very taboo and it can be very dangerous to bring it up. My best friend and I are actually both atheists due to 7 years of Catholic schooling. You study it enough you see the fallacies. My family was positively responsive. They are more non-practicing spiritual people. Only one who really disagrees is my brother-in-law who is southern Baptist.

 

[Straw Dog]

Coupled with other unpopular views and behavior, my mother's expressed opinion is that I'm completely unpredictable. Well, if my own mom can't even guess what I'm about to do, then what chance do I have at figuring it out until after the fact?

 

[Falvlun]

Parents not pleased. Rocky couple of years, but better now. Sister didn't understand but still accepted me nonetheless. Nobody else really cares... or knows, for that matter.

 

[bookwormlady]

My immediate family knows, to one degree or another. My mom knows because of the long talks I've had with her, and she's actually swung around from being a lapsed Catholic/general theist to what seems to be agnosticism. I made it clear to her that she was very welcome to continue believing whatever made her happy, but it seems that some of the points I've brought up got her thinking. Other family members know I don't go to church, and that I'm not a believer - but I've never discussed it in great detail, and they seem OK with it. My close friends all know that I'm a non-theist/secular humanist, and they're cool with it. Even a couple who are Christian don't particularly seem to mind, but in general, they're pretty open minded anyway.

I think I was lucky to be raised in an area that isn't incredibly religious. When I was younger, I was a Christian (Catholic), but I never encountered any strong fundamentalism even back then.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

My friends couldn't care less. My girlfriend said she was an atheist too when we got to talking about it. My zealous parents were a little worse. My dad didn't seem all that intrested but my mother acted like I just sacrificed a goat in the glorious name of satan.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

Well... you could have taken the goat outside first. Maybe even washed off the blood you had smeared all over yourself.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

Well... you could have taken the goat outside first. Maybe even washed off the blood you had smeared all over yourself.

But then what would be the point of doing it?