Very long story!
Catholic School...church,most of the sacraments.
Raised children as Catholics.
Was " born again" ! Went to prayer meetings.
Etc: took care of my parents for 10 years,was not prepared . I was 44 at the time and worked.
Being a depressive person and not a strong communicator it took a toll on me.
Priest were absolutely no help whatsoever.
My dad was a fanatic! I cried, begged,wailed at god for help? NOTHING.....
Husband became sick in 2000. Again no help! He was a Knight of Columbus in the Catholic Church.. He had many issues and I kept spiraling down the drain.
Again sent my soul to the universe begging for help. Must be I was looking in the wrong direction.
Then I fully realized,for myself,that there is no one up there. There is nothing after death.
People are so terrified of that fact they will believe anything.
We don't want to be obliterated...but that's life.
It's easier to truly realize you have to find your way and take care of yourself. Instead of waiting...waiting..waiting!

The family that raised me was secular the family I married into was Baptist. That was simple for me. I said after they asked, I don't believe things until I have good reasons to believe them. If you can give me a good reason, I will convert today. They tried, but I pointed out using skepticism why their points fail to convince me. They never understood, and their conclusion was I just wanted to sin. I smiled and said, I sin just as much as you do.

When I was unwillingly pregnant and my mom pulled out some epic bullshit about how she was against it yet never spent a day in a church. I tore into her opinion and hypocrisy against abortion.

I just flat out said it. They of course asked what happened to me. To which I replied, "I woke up."

I was less then 10 when one Sunday after church I asked them why they believe, because it all makes absolutely no sense. It started years of abuse (I am sure being a believer wouldn't change it) that ended when I moved out just before me 18th birthday.

With extreme difficulty....you were not alliwed to question....anything ...no matter how ridiculous .The bog standard reply to any question was " Because it is " .

My Mother had already been leading pray circles for my soul when I joined the LDS, I think after that coming out as an atheist was a relief to her. However since she was of the ilk who don't believe there is any such thing as an atheist and that it is all just "showing off" she died convinced I would grow up and stop all the nonsense one day.
My Father just sighed and told me I was too clever for my own good.

My non-attendance at church sent a message. Without saying anything on the subject my family understands that I am not a believer.

All the double standard bullshit finally clicked.

I thought.

Exposure to different ideas, love for science, and reading about history, philosophy and biology.

You are not your family and you or anyone don't have the same opinions and believes about things. Despite this we still are friends and love our families.

Never "came out". My elderly mother would be too upset, it's better to let sleeping dogs lie.

It would be difficult to fully out yourself as a non-believer, if you are still dependant on people who are believers. I lived with my parents until I finished highschool. I went through all the religious rituals till then, even though, I doubted it. I did it because I couldn't fully rebel. I went to college away from my parents, and within weeks I told them I don't believe. It took them time to reconcile this fact. But I pressed the point that I cannot be made to do/believe something that I don't think is acceptable. That was about 10 years ago..

I didn't - there was no need. As a child I had to obey my caretakers - the moment I turned 18 - I didn't and as a result, I didn't feel inclined to ask their opinion about most of the decisions I've made in my 51-years.

One word.... science.......

I had doubts growing up (was adopted, so always felt an outsider in my family), found better things to do in late teens and into 20's, then about 30 and raising two daughters as a single parent decided I needed to get back right with God to make it through life and raise them "right". After a couple of years, I filled in one summer as youth pastor when the old one moved away. I studied and read a lot, since I didn't want to mis-represent anything. After studying the history, theology, and looking at my life lessons...finally came to the conclusion it was all a load of crap. After that, I was just open about it and my beliefs. Of course I was wrong and confused, being led away by Satan. All the questions and errors I encountered though were never answered by the pastors or staff, friends or family when I asked them to clarify. Never got an answer, they just said either "I'm afraid to not believe b/c of hell"....or, "you're right, it doesn't make sense, but you just have to have faith and still believe". Neither of which at this point had any sway on me.

I’m pretty open to being atheist . Personally I just tell people without much thought to u

I haven't had that conversation with most of the family but I remember the worship leader at church saying if you stop going to church it's really hard to come back. Most people don't. I thought that says something doesn't it? Like once you leave a bad relationship you can see clearer and think, man, what have I been doing all these years?

It came with a thousand tears

I had several long conversations with my wife about my Atheism which did not go well at all. I had a conversation with my sister and two brothers only to find out that the had come out to each other years ago. The rest of the world I told on Facebook. I received both roasts and compliments there.

I always was one and they weren't particularly

I told my mom I was taking friday off school for a pagan sabath retreat. She took it well. Friday morning she asked where I was. Turns out she had thought I was joking.

Books, science, school, documentaries, educational programs, questioning things and never getting any concrete answers....etc