thank you everyone for your sincere sharings, I agree we should not batter our families with Atheist hardballs... I save my "powder" (as Hitch advised) for criminal theocrats and creationists invading public schools but above all I SLAM TAMPON TERRORISTS at abortion clinics so that women and medical staff can be free of these insane bigots trying to force every zygote out a birth canal with a rosary of nano beads and a digital recording of Hail Mary full of SHIT

i was raised so secularly that while i knew for sure i was a jew, no doubt about that, i never knew whether or not my parents believed in a god until someone asked me about it after i'd grown up and moved away. when i found myself unable to answer, i called my folks long distance (remember long distance?) and asked them. turns out mom wasn't sure but thought she did, and dad wasn't sure but thought he didn't. when mom died (a couple years after dad did), she said she hoped she would meet dad again. what was i going to do -- lecture her in the last hours of her life? 'sigh so... i do know that her parents' parents were so orthodox they wouldn't flip a light switch on the sabbath. the ba'al shem tov would've been horrified.

g

I am first generation, my father was raised Lutheran, my mother Methodist......I attended church until about the age of 9 then was allowed to make my own decision......I am glad I was exposed to organized religion, I was able to make my decisions and develop my beliefs after studying all sides.. .

My daughter is the 2nd generation. I fought hard with my surroundings to display me.
even now here n there ppl do bad Comments behind the back.. (who gives a shit of that!! ???? ????)
The worst of it was one of my relative gossipped, my way of non believing and not following the rituals only has created so much of miseries (actually nothing happens) and took away my dad's life.
Was shaken, but now can't give anything than a smile towards.
How awkward ppl take us for granted and stage their grudges on athiests..

My Dad was such a puzzle, too bad I did not take the time when he was alive to really sit down and talk to him about his thoughts on it. I know he was not religious, tho he was raised Catholic. I know he read the Bible but more as literature than from religious stand point. Thought it provided some good guidance as to how to live ones life, be kind, don't steal, etc. Mom was Methodist but not religious, again another mystery, she only ever went to church a couple of times at Easter that I know of.

I think I'm probably 1st gen. I don't think my dad was religious at all, but he never talked about it one way or the other. My mom still is super religious and raised us Catholic.