You've come to the right place my friend. Welcome aboard!!
Congratulations on breaking down the walls of persona and getting closer to understanding the elementary ideas hidden deep in your psyche. Your consciousness is expanding.

Perhaps not all that relevant ..but I found this site from an ad on a dating site that is dominated by Filipinas 85% of which request men who have "fear of god".
Back one step ... I was born an atheist but it took me a while to figure it out. I was baptised and my grandmother dragged me to church each Sunday I was staying with her. So my little bottom had early exposure to the holy planks that I had to share with old widows. Oh ... I also had to attend a church run scholl because the state didn't provide schools despite the fact the attendance was compulsory. Totally fucked up system.
So I got early exposure to all the labels and terminology ... but ... Nobody around me ever seriously indoctrinated me. Later I realised the religious stuff was just like set in a theatre.
Now reading stories like your's made me rethink. I had no idea that it would take courage to extract oneself from the fangs of these poor wretched believers who themselves were inocculated with the holy crap at an early age.

I hope you find some likeminded people with whom you can share your thoughts and anxieties.

I am currently in China where the political climate is changing rapidly and drastically, where everyone has to swear loyalty to the motherland and the "core value of socialism" while witnessing how the country is wrecked and ruined by the most savage capitalism.

You've found them Welcome aboard! Check Meetup.com to see if there might be others of like mind in your area. You might be surprised by others who are out there.

My family is all from Texas and most of them hold their sky-daddy pretty close. My sister has disclosed to me that she is an atheist but has asked that I not share her secret. She doesn’t want to have to deal with our parents trying to convert her or pester her about the impending doom facing her immortal soul. Personally, I would have kept it to myself as well if I could just keep my big fat mouth shut when I hear people piously touting their righteousness and modesty for the benefit of their own ego.

It’s not easy when your family alienates you for NOT being afraid of the dark, but remember that what you believe is no one’s business. It’s between you and the eventual heat death of the universe. Keep your eyes and your mind open and enjoy the experience of being alive.

Poor you .

If you're ''looking,''.....here we are ! I know something about Mississippi....beautiful place with some really sick attitudes! How'd you find us? Come on in & have a beer!

Are you from the Delta, the Hill Country or the other part, by the ocean? Not that it makes a difference, but I am a great fan of your state. Here , people will gladly talk, debate or discuss The Great Illusions with you.
I am leaving on another trip along the whole Natchez Trace, ending in Natchez.
Feel yourself welcommed here.

Welcome!

Wow. That sounds so isolating. I am glad you found this safe place to be you.

These are the two Atheists Assoc. I founded; there may be others.... if you contact them surely they will tell where they are.

Some people live close to other states; let me know if this is your case and I will try to find other groups.

Mississippi

Mississippi Atheists
Mississippi Gulf Coast Atheist and Freethinking Association Meetup

Welcome - you’ll find a bunch of like minds here - including lots of folks from the Bible Belt. We have a great support system here! For many of us it more of a community site than a dating site. You’ll find lots of sympathetic listeners here, for sure.

Welcome....fair warning...this place is addictive like hell !! ???

Welcome, many of us here reside in the the buybull belt. You’re amongst friends.

Welcome friend.

Hi Jim welcome to the site. I hope you enjoy being connected to people who hold similar views to yourself. It sounds like you live in an environment where it is difficult to exoress your ok own opinions... it is a comment on religion that they don't feel secure around people with different world views. I look forward to seeing your posts.

welcome! deep south sounds exotic for me in Northern Ireland - I find that expressive words become difficult about 'belief' or 'non belief' and sometimes I wonder if not talking about it at all helps, because , if there is no belief what else would we be doing probably mowing the lawn or mending something .Belief seems to belong in the head mess of meaninglessness wondering about something unimportant at this moment. In Ireland we have an expression called 'passing yourself" which really means doing whatever it needs in order to keep people off your back and your self on track without worrying about what you have to do or say in order to achieve that goal. good luck glad to meet you. I have never had a god so a bit easier for me but alot of Goddy people here in N.I.so I too have to ducjk and weave around them.

In my travels I've met the most morally corrupt people in the Bible belt.

Hi, Jim, and welcome to the website!

Sorry about your challenging situation.

By the way, this website has a bit of a learning curve.

You can improve your website score in general by answering all the profile questions and writing a bio, which also earns website points, and helps other members get to know you.

Commenting on posts and writing your own posts earns more points. At level two you can private message people, and at level eight you get an agnostic T-shirt.

Many people prefer to see a written profile talking about interests, hobbies, and backgrounds that can be quickly perused to find others with similar interests.

In case you didn't know yet, to find members near you, click on the "Browse" button at the top of the page, then on "Members," and enter your preferred search parameters.
Click on the "Discuss" button, then "Nearby" to find members near you also.
Or click on the "About" button at the top left of the page to find links to FAQ or the website tutorial.
Points are now being given to level 3+ members who chat. You can see chat rooms on the group main page or at [agnostic.com].

Welcome, you will find plenty of like minded people here. It must be hard for you especially in your marriage when your wife won’t allow you to discuss your views. You can get it all off your chest here!