You are entitled to protect yourself and your family as you see it fit. If it means pretending to go along with something you don't believe to prevents trouble for your family is okay....unless you know people are being harmed by your keeping silent. Then it's your judgement call on what to do. Sometimes a sacrifice really helps...sometimes it does nothing but cause strife.

That said, there's no reason you can't pretend to believe and not ask 'innocent' questions to point out flawed thinking or beliefs. I have found that if I go along with the god belief and pretend to be a little dim and ask their 'advice', that has a way of giving the believer permission to investigate and think about flawed beliefs...for me. The side benefit ofcourse is that the believer now has a little more perspective.

I have personally seen a lot of behavioral and life changes in many fervently religious people I know based on this 'advice-seeking' questions I ask. They seemed more open and accepting and less...well, religious.

Keep coming to us, and vent more while at school. I got the Christians at work to leave me alone by saying, of your good exists, then he's a dick and I want nothing to do with him. Plenty of evidence for that too.

I don’t. Similarly I live in a tiny super religious town but I don’t really give a fuck who knows anymore; it’s exhausting to hide who you are, and not worth it. I don’t go around advertising or anything but among personal interactions with family and friends I won’t hide my feelings at all. This has led to perhaps having relatively few friends and family because I’m no stranger to burning bridges and there’s no hill I won’t die on. But that’s about the only negative consequence so far. If I had a shit ton of offensive (from the religious conservative perspective) yard signs or bumper stickers I would expect some vandalism and litter on my property but it should be fairly easy to avoid antagonizing anyone who might do you harm without having to lie to yourself or others by much.

Be as pleasant and respectful to people as you can, but don’t let em walk all over you. Feel free to ignore, turn down, or talk back to the nonsense in situations where they’re invading your peace. I know the threat of all this fragile white masculinity brewing into domestic terrorism from religious conservatives Is terrifying; but just stay away from the trump rally and let your character speak for itself everywhere else. Most people aren’t willing to hurt someone just because they disagree with them. try not to fear, the worst most of them can do is judge harshly. Which matters less than a scintilla of a fuck.

It's survival for me in the workplace. It's a damn wonder that I haven't gone off on one of my rants yet.

Dont Ask, Don't Tell.

No problem for me. I reveal when I want and hide when I want. It is easy because I am pragmatic, not an idealist. What I believe in the heart is more important than people having to know about it.

Don't announce, but don't hide.

I've been an atheist since birth. Others have tried to convince me against the default. But eventually I came back to reality. I didn't "become an atheist" ... it's seriously the human default.

Don't hide it, unless your life is in danger, obviously.

You were born an atheist. Your loved ones taught you that you should believe, in something unrealistic.

to Tad

Dear Thaddeus, thank you for the email.

I first realized that I was an atheist when I was 8 years old.

I could not resolve the Santa Claus paradox, why is God real in Santa Claus false?

as I studied science it became obvious to me that there was no Invisible Man controlling everything.

why would there be?

nature shows no interest in me personally and why would it?

an individual's choice of religion is directly related to the region of the world they were born.

for example if I was raised in India I might've been exposed to the Hindu philosophy.

if I was born in a Muslim country I would have been expected to be a Muslim.

based on these Regional differences throughout the world each with their own message.

it became obvious to me that religion was just made up to fit current circumstances.

of course locally the Christian tradition is the most prevalent, although I find gospel strangely compelling, the inconsistency with the Old Testament indicates that Jehovah God is inconsistent more likely made it to fit the circumstances of the time.

most people never question their core values, the system that they were born into it's the system they subscribe to throughout their lives. why is this if life is a search for truth then why is it all systems considered?

an alternative view of the world science offers a few of reality without Dogma.

science is open to change review an open discussion of the facts.

As they become apparent.

science is the study of nature only seeks the truth.

on the philosophical side Christianity typically uses the Bible in bits and pieces that make their case.

for example: Deuteronomy

Going to War
20 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them,because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

as contrasted with: Matthew 5:43

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou

shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

if the Bible is the complete truth and the light how can we explain these inconsistencies?

Christianity and other religions have done great good, they are also capable of great evil.

for example:

The Crusades were organized by western European Christians after centuries of Muslim wars of expansion. Their primary objectives were to stop the expansion of Muslim states, to reclaim for Christianity the Holy Land in the Middle East, and to recapture territories that had formerly been Christian.

The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

these were both examples of religious zealots, that believed they were doing what their God told them to do.

enough for now thank you sincerely

David

I don't hide my Atheism. Maybe I'm fortunate to live in an area where I don't have to hide. I've been open and for the most part those who liked me still do. Those that don't I don't miss anyway. Some may light heartedly kid me and I kid them back but we still hang out and have a beer together. I've had some neighbors when I state my Atheism say they are also. I don't live in Texas though.

Keep quiet, finish college, then head abroad to Canada or Europe

First of all you need to focus on your education and not have your family guilt you into being involved in "helping" them when you are barely above childhood.

Focus on your education and maybe go visit every other weekend or one weekend a month.

If they are as religious as you say, someone in that religious community can help them deal with whatever "issues" there are.

To answer your question; I hate it. But I keep my non belief to myself, unless I'm asked, then I'm honest. \ If there are no secular/atheist/humanist meetups in your area, just do what you have to do. I have used fb or this app to meet like minded people.

I feel ya. I became an atheist in Lynchburg va home of liberty university and Jerry Falwell. I just stayed quiet. I made a few heathen friends . And when I could I moved to Raleigh nc. Much more educated and diverse. Austin is like that!

I don't deal with it since there is no reason to hide it. If someone asks me if go to church/what is my religion/do I believe in god, I tell them I am an atheist pagan. I am very rarely asked those questions, but I have equality here in America, so I don't have to hide it. Usually, they are interested and get into a discussion with me. A lot of times, they just let it go. If they say something rude, I just ask them why they they think that is ok to say that to me. They usually either stammer or say they they love me and don't want me to go to hell. I remind them that they don't know me at all, so I doubt that they love me, and they can look after their own souls and not worry about mine. Absolutely no problem. By the way, my family is all either Souther Baptist or Pentecostal, and the town I grew up in is a little, Central Illinois farm town, that is extremely religious and conservative.

What would happen if word gets out? Will they burn you at the stake?

I’ve been an atheist my whole life. Never felt the need to hide it. You should probably move.

I don't...I let my freak flag fly high.

i am sorry you have to hide your atheism. i have never had to do so. if i were in your position and had the means, i would find another college.

g

Sounds truly difficult for you, but I live in Australia and here we don't, so far, need to hide our Atheism/Agnosticism so I'm very up-front about it, though I still get the Faithfools trying to preach to me.
Al I can suggest is to hold true your Non-beliefs, stay free of their mind-washing attempts and NEVER give in.

Yup.
Whenever someone brings up religion, stop paying attention to that person.
Seem distracted, murmuring responses like, "Um-hum..how nice," in a soothing manner, then immediately remember something you have to do, and leave. Don't return for a good while.

It only takes a couple of times before the person is trained to avoid mentioning religion. If church people invite you to attend a religious event, nod, smile, thank them for the invite, then change the subject, and don't go.

If they pressure you to attend, say "That's you, not me, but have a good time," change the subject, leave the room.

Never apologize. Never explain. EVER.

I don't have to, anybody who matters to me already knows

I don't

I go with the flow. My closest family knows what I am and they are more or less too. the rest, I don't care what they know or don't know about me...

I don’t think it should be hidden because we all have a right to our opinion.

I don't!!