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Former Mennonite here, and I've dealt with personal issues debating whether I should be open with my parents about my non belief or just let it ride cuz there's a good chance they'd disown me. What do y'all think the best course of action would be?

sloewensteady 3 Oct 4
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Your genetic/family connections are the most important thing you have on this Earth, mother and father being the most important of all of those, but your siblings will be there most or all of your life. Compared to that, some belief system, among the millions of such systems that have come and gone is not much. Be humble, like my hero Kwai Chang Kane. When he's asked his opinion of someone's belief he says, "who is to say it is not so?"

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I suppose it would depend on how much you value a relationship based on pretense. If it's more important to you that your parents not disown you than it is for them to know the truth about you, let that sleeping dog lie. If / when you marry and choose to have children, this issue may not be as easily hidden, however. Do I sound enough like Dear Abby for you? 😉

Yes, most definitely helpful though. I've decided to let the dogs lie as you say. As far as getting married, I've thought about that too but I haven't met or dated too many women in my area that were able to get over my non belief. Which I don't flaunt at all and actually hope it doesn't come up on dates, but I won't lie either.

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I believe Mennonites shun. If so it's really hard and you are the one that has to live with the consequences. I was a JW and when I left I was shunned by everyone I knew except my Mom and she stuck with me till her death.

gearl Level 8 Oct 5, 2018

Yeah, I don't think I could handle that. Losing my family for the sake of "living honestly?" I'm honest with everyone else and I don't hide my lifestyle choices, I just won't bring it up outright with them and hope it never comes up.

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It took me a long time to tell my mom I was an atheist she looked at me like I was joking and changed the subject. It’s never come up again. My close friends know and are accepting. I think family sees what they want to see no matter what you tell them until they are ready or it’s forced on them. I’m not inclined to do that.

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tricky do you have an otherwise good relationship and want to remain in their lives? everyone lies about something if at the end of the day it would mean very little to keep up a deception of faith then i see little to be gained and potentially much to be lost good luck

I love them both dearly and I see faith is so important to them. My non belief is a big part of my life, but I fear that them knowing I'm an atheist would create a rift we couldn't bridge. Idk, I wrestle with this off and on.

@sloewensteady in that case i would deff keep your truth from them if i could, parents are fairly irreplaceable and i think if the relationship is a good and important one i would rather keep that deception up to enjoy their company 👍

@weeman that's my line of thinking most of the time and I'll keep taking the course. Thanks!

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I think if I were you, I'd lay low as long as possible. Don't live a lie. Live your truth. Just don't talk about it to people who would not understand it.

That's exactly what I'm doing now, and I happy to hear it's okay.

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Let it ride for now but if they ever confront you, tell them the truth. We have a nice Mennonite bakery in the town I work in. I like their bread and deli.

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Without knowing the relationship you have with your parents, it is hard to suggest anything. The folks on hear that say don't live a lie. Fuck'em. I guarantee 99% of them have not told their parents everything about their lives.

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