Did you tell your religious parents?

[Poison Tree]

I told my sister and she told EVERYONE. Wasn't really ready for that. But when she got pregnant I was sworn to secrecy for months until she was ready to go around and tell everyone personally. Apparently she gets to control who knows what about herself be the rest of us don't get that right.
I'm a little bitter

It kind of strained my relationship with my mother after my sister told her and rather put me on the defensive being unexpectedly confronted by her, but it mostly worked out; just a little awkward now.

[Munch]

I told my sister and she told EVERYONE. Wasn't really ready for that. But when she got pregnant I was sworn to secrecy for months until she was ready to go around and tell everyone personally. Apparently she gets to control who knows what about herself be the rest of us don't get that right.
I'm a little bitter

It kind of strained my relationship with my mother after my sister told her and rather put me on the defensive being unexpectedly confronted by her, but it mostly worked out; just a little awkward now.

Yeah no, your sisters a douche. Someone has to say it.

[drunkenshoe]

I am sorry to hear all that. I am one of the fortunate people. Hang in there.

I'm also curious, are you young? I mean, early 20s?

[Solitary]

Hey, my wife is a catholic girl too.  But other than having your head banged, I am trying to understand you.  So you must be fairly well educated?

Experience is the best teacher, and I have had a lot of experience. I'm handicapped intellectually, but try harder than most to learn about everything. I love knowledge for its own sake. I don't give damned about my bad reputation. It's my life to live to the fullest, not anyone else's. I street raced, and track raced cars when younger: got in gang fights when I was 14 and ran away from home to Washington DC; was a union musician at 15,  trained by my one dad that was a technical sergeant in the army to be an expert at combat judo and street fighting to be the perfect soldier from birth, and worked as a labor and union carpenter; a fine, graphic artist, and illustrator when 21; married when 22; Took up sport skydiving at 28, moved to Hawaii at 32, moved to Arizona the same year, worked as a porter, insurance and Equifax private detective; worked as a graphic artist; then worked for the local school district; had an affair and fell in love with a rock star at 42; took up alpine skiing at 52; worked for Four Season Resorts in their engineering department and as a touchup artist traveling around the world, retired at 60, my wife found out about my affair at 42, and moving to Murrietta California in October with MS racking my nervous system. I've had a good and exciting life with only one complaint, what I haven't done, and none for what I have done. You want anymore info you have to get me really drunk. By the way, I am dyslexic and can't relate to people, especially religious nuts that do harm in the name of God.  Solitary

[Feral Atheist]

Religion is the greatest source of child abuse by parents, both mental abuse and physical abuse.

I thank god  I was raised by very loving atheists,

[Munch]

Religion is the greatest source of child abuse by parents, both mental abuse and physical abuse.

I thank god  I was raised by very loving atheists,

It doesn't have to be the christian god.

If you have to choose one, how about priapus, the greek god of mens wangs and fruit



Everyone loves fruit!

[Poison Tree]

I'm also curious, are you young? I mean, early 20s?

Was that addressed to me?

[Munch]

In retrospect, being gay and atheist has the same coming out stories base on circumstance for many people, while while being gay is just what your born as, being atheist is a learned process you can come to at any age.
I came out to my parents, first my mum, who said she always knew I was and just waited for me to open up one day, being cool with it, and my dad, who didn't have much to say about it but when he got drunk would slur things like 'dirty fat queer', but he was a weak little old fart so whatever.

I guess because I went though my coming out with my family, realizing I was an atheist came by more gradual in what I debated and saw for myself, so when years later i finally admitted it, it didn't really have much to it, since mums not a god believer herself, my brothers a non believer, and my friends are smart enough to be the same. Guess I'm lucky in both regards.

[Sal1981]

I did, and it was because I wanted to let go of all the pretense.

[Givemeareason]

Experience is the best teacher, and I have had a lot of experience. I'm handicapped intellectually, but try harder than most to learn about everything. I love knowledge for its own sake. I don't give damned about my bad reputation. It's my life to live to the fullest, not anyone else's. I street raced, and track raced cars when younger: got in gang fights when I was 14 and ran away from home to Washington DC; was a union musician at 15,  trained by my one dad that was a technical sergeant in the army to be an expert at combat judo and street fighting to be the perfect soldier from birth, and worked as a labor and union carpenter; a fine, graphic artist, and illustrator when 21; married when 22; Took up sport skydiving at 28, moved to Hawaii at 32, moved to Arizona the same year, worked as a porter, insurance and Equifax private detective; worked as a graphic artist; then worked for the local school district; had an affair and fell in love with a rock star at 42; took up alpine skiing at 52; worked for Four Season Resorts in their engineering department and as a touchup artist traveling around the world, retired at 60, my wife found out about my affair at 42, and moving to Murrietta California in October with MS racking my nervous system. I've had a good and exciting life with only one complaint, what I haven't done, and none for what I have done. You want anymore info you have to get me really drunk. By the way, I am dyslexic and can't relate to people, especially religious nuts that do harm in the name of God.  Solitary

You certainly have had a very exciting life.  Mine has been much calmer.  I started my adult life as an engineer and then ended up working the construction and testing of nuclear power plants.  That started coming to an end so the money I had made and went into automotive repair.  More specifically I went into the automotive transmission business.  I sold the businesses about 10 years ago and went into retirement but became bored.  So I started looking at working again because that is what I enjoy most.  But my experience as an engineer is of no use now and so much work these days doesn't pay enough to even make it worthwhile.  So currently I am driving trucks in the Bakken oil fields and that is where you see me in my picture with my hard hat on.  I truly enjoy it up here but decided I needed more mental stimulation.  I have a lot of time for thinking and so I am trying to put it to good use.  My encounters with people though go on throughout the day.  So I happily go through each day experiencing life and check in as much as I can here to interract accordingly.  There is nothing I would rather be doing right now so I am happy right where I am at.

[drunkenshoe]

Was that addressed to me?

No, it was adressed to the OP. But I agree with Munch about your sister.

[Feral Atheist]

In retrospect, being gay and atheist has the same coming out stories base on circumstance for many people, while while being gay is just what your born as, being atheist is a learned process you can come to at any age.
I came out to my parents, first my mum, who said she always knew I was and just waited for me to open up one day, being cool with it, and my dad, who didn't have much to say about it but when he got drunk would slur things like 'dirty fat queer', but he was a weak little old fart so whatever.

I guess because I went though my coming out with my family, realizing I was an atheist came by more gradual in what I debated and saw for myself, so when years later i finally admitted it, it didn't really have much to it, since mums not a god believer herself, my brothers a non believer, and my friends are smart enough to be the same. Guess I'm lucky in both regards.

Being gay is how you were born.  Almost 40 years ago I knew the little boy next door (age 3 - 4), that played with our daughter would be a gay adult, and he is an openly gay man in a monogamous relationship today.

Being atheist is also how we are born.  Many suffer the teaching of religion through the ignorance of their parents religion.  I suspect in many case the religious training begins before potty training is started. 

To say that becoming an atheist is a learning process is not accurate, it is an unlearning process, unlearning the absurdities of religion.

[ahplshutup]

I am sorry to hear all that. I am one of the fortunate people. Hang in there.

I'm also curious, are you young? I mean, early 20s?

Thanks. Yes, somewhere in that range, why?

it's really great that you were fortunate, glad it wasn't an atypical response. Judgment is indeed a dirty thing that should be buried and never be allowed to breathe

[Savior2006]

Both my parents know, because on my computer I my background was that atheist "demotivational" poster with the rainbow. The one that says: "There's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow either."

My dad saw it and only got slightly annoyed. Mom saw it and got a bit more annoyed. None of them were angry though, really. Mom seemed to think that atheism was the same thing as paganism. I hope that she did some research after that. All the same, they are truly wonderful and understanding and I'm grateful to have them. My brother, I think said that he didn't believe in God when I was going into my pre-teens.

As I've said before, I am a black man with a black family. Blacks tend to be more religious than whites in this country. At least percentage-wise.
But I've come across a number of black atheists, and I'm part of the Black Atheist Alliance on Facebook.

[Munch]

To say that becoming an atheist is a learning process is not accurate, it is an unlearning process, unlearning the absurdities of religion.

Ok yeah, your right, we are all born atheist and religion is indoctrinated into us. I was more thinking of those who have been indoctrinated and eventually able to let it go and grow up from those wacko ideas.