I had a similar experience gradually accepting the fact that the beliefs of my family were simply a waste of time and in fact a limitation on my life. By the time my decisions became obvious I noticed that the parents I had tried not to offend had also dropped being religious beyond for show. It astounds me that a simple honest conversation ten or fifteen years earlier could have avoided all the pretending.

I had a similar experience gradually accepting the fact that the beliefs of my family were simply a waste of time and in fact a limitation on my life. By the time my decisions became obvious I noticed that the parents I had tried not to offend had also dropped being religious beyond for show. It astounds me that a simple honest conversation ten or fifteen years earlier could have avoided all the pretending.

When you dump all the religious BS you free up a tremendous part of your brain to use for other purposes.

This is an excellent article! Thank you for sharing. I stopped believing gradually in my teens and then stopped believing in my 20s. I tried very hard not to offend my family of believers. I don't think they would have taken it well. Since my release from religion was gradual, I am able to ignore the psychological influences that I confront daily in the biblle belt.

Awesome article, I really like Vice.