I came out as an atheist when I was about 15. I was basically disowned by my family. However, I lived in a foster home anyway so it's not like I lost much in contact, but emotionally it was devastating. I spent 30 more years going in and out of my parent’s lives, and my two older brothers were horrible. I answered my door once, when I was around 22 and they threw what they said was holy water on me, as I was 'possessed by a demon'. Not until my dad died about 4 years ago did we start talking. I finally made connections with the second in line, my brother Jon, and he died 4 months later, my oldest sibling brother started to come around when at my brother Jon's funeral I spoke out about how I had been treated over the years and how much I felt cheated out of all the times the family had just shared about their lives with Jon the past 30 years... Still, although we sort of talk now, it is not the same, I am still the outcast. Our youngest is my sister and I have a fair relationship with her, but I will never be 'in the club' unless I submit, which I will not do...

Yep.

My family were awful very abusive nothing to stop me being whatever I want left home at fifteen y.o carefree times don't regret it at all - My mother tried to take my daughter away from me whilst i was in hospital!

One cannot lose family anymore than one can lose DNA.

Being a family includes acceptance. I agree that your family either has to accept something about you or break that bond.

It is true whether the family accepts it or not. If they don't know about it now, it's inevitable that they will learn sooner or later. I'd rather be disowned than live a lie

I never told my mother only because she would feel that it is her fault, and she failed somehow. She was very sick toward the end of her life and I did not want to add to her worries, but she would never abandon me or stop loving me. She always asked me why I do not go to church. I just told her that churches are full of hipocrytes and fakers looking for forgiveness on Sundays for the bad deeds that they do during the week. She just laughed and said yes, a lot of them are but there are good people also.

They are way too afraid of missing what I'll do next.

Relatives who don't respect your way of thinking are not too much of a family..............

I already have.

Definitely, gotta be yourself

I probably would, my family is all religious and would be adgast to know that I am. I already have lost people but those are the ones that want to control me, so who cares I am very tired of it. Why can't I believe what I want and how about reality, there are not angels, god, devils, easter bunny of santa clause. Its all for fun, grow up and can't we be friends without all the nonsense. I am looking for friends just like me

I'm coming out incrementally. (I can only consider myself Agnostic at this point.) My extended family has been (at least somewhat) told (though they don't seem to believe it). Most of my wider social sphere doesn't know, some do. I don't think I'll loose my family even when it all really sets in for them, but I'm not ready yet for it to be basic common knowledge about me.

Yes, I would. Coming out as an atheist, in my opinion, isn't much different from coming out as gay. My son's gay and he was accepted by everyone in his family except for his dad who finally accepted him only because he was dying of a malignant brain tumor and he didn't really recognize his own son anyway.

“Those who mind, don’t matter. And those who matter, don’t mind.” The truth is, you don’t choose your biological family, they don’t stop being family due to personal or those family beliefs. Attitudes do change, however I always took a certain compromise in mine. The truth of the matter, a bellicose form of atheism is no way to show by example. It’s atagonistic in nature and results in opposition rather than provoking thought or discourse. Listening doesn’t mean accepting their beliefs, and it doesn’t necessarily validate those beliefs either. Atheism in itself is an acceptance on philosophical thought, by the same token so it the family choice to believe in religion. However do not tolerate be belittled by your beliefs or the truth you posses. A family member that I no longer associate with, had the idea that “the word is learnt by blood” a metaphor that you can force changes in behaviors and beliefs by force. “Those who mind, don’t matter.” The rest of my family deeply catholic are very totlerant and we can have discourse on atheism, agnosticism, and religion without forcing anyone into their beliefs or mine for that matter. When in trouble we cooperate not just tied by blood, but because a good family takes care of each other, despite the circumstances. “Those who matter, don’t mind”

That has already happened.

I did know, and I did lose but don't miss them if that is how they feel.

So I'm 22 yrs old and I recently bought my own house back in August. In September I did tell my parents I was an atheist. I lived the past couple yrs living a double life. I didn't really believe in god anymore but still played church because I lived my life to please my parents who adopted me when I was 17. But once I was on my own I realized I didn't want to take my life anymore. I wanted to be me and figure out who I was. So I told them. We have spoken at thanksgiving and Christmas. Tbh I don't miss them. I'm so used to ppl leaving that I'm like okay see ya. I have my best friend who means the world to me and he is an atheist himself. He's all I have rn but I wouldn't change it for anything.

I've already lost family and friends when I came out as Trans..so this wouldn't be a big step for me.

Yes. I make no bones about it. People know it about me. Some in my family pray for me.

YES! But we are all atheists, they are just a-holes...

This is a hard one. If it wasn't for my dad, who is super religious, I wouldn't have a place for me and my son to stay. I would probably keep it to myself if I knew he would shun me. But if having a place to life and such wasn't an issue, I would still come out because I don't need people who will leave me in my life.

If they can not accept me for what I chose not to believe in. I can not change and live a lie to have people accept me.

Lol I've been open about my atheism since I was a teenager, and never considered losing family over it. I did lose family over some other issues, though.

Yes. Find your own tribe. In the end, the people that matter are the ones that care about you as a person in the here and now.

My family already knows my beliefs. It doesn't make any difference to them, just like their beliefs make no difference to me. Unless there's proselytization going on.....