The fuckers never let me in....

I came to terms with it when I was 13. I'd always had some level of doubt, despite my early childhood experience of going to church somewhat regularly. It never resonated with me.

I feel like my parents had known for a while, but it only became explicitly stated the last five years or so. We used to argue incessantly about it.

But now we've come to a common ground, because they seem to understand that it has no bearings in your ability to stand up yourself and the things you value.

I now don't really give af who knows, and I'm pretty outspoken with it. I also live in a conservative town, so I've bumped heads with some people. Fairly good at standing my ground.

I've always been out, since I was born

I never came out .Very few people I know are aware of my non belief.A few family members and a few acquaintances .I have no compulsion to tell people .

Coming out is a very gradual thing for me. I work at a place where it would not be well-received and I need this job. But my family knows and my close friends know and I'm ok with this for now. I look forward to the days when I have the money and leisure time to attend things like Skepticon and seek more contact with fellow non-believers.

I was 9 when i told my parents. They fully supported my choice and even helped me educate myself with various beliefs and religions telling me " it's not important who or what you believe, but what you do that defines who you are." my father who was Catholic told me that in the end it's how you lived your life and treated others that matteres not what you worship.

i was never not out. i realized at 15 there were no gods, but there really wasn't anyone to tell, or not to tell for that matter. i wasn't hiding it; i just didn't have a whole lot of friends and my folks were busy. if they'd asked i'd have told them but we never talked about religion. no one ever asked. i remember discussing it with my best friend, who also knew there were no gods, but it wasn't like a secret, not for me anyway. her family was catholic; she probably told her dad just to bug him. it already bugged him that her best friend was jewish! (decades later when he and my friend's mom had moved back to france, where the mom was born, and i had a chance to visit paris, not only did they put me up, he asked me what i'd like to do, i said i'd like to visit a parisian synagogue, and he found one for me AND came with! i figure he made it up to me okay lol. i never felt as if because i didn't tell him i was an atheist i was hiding it from him; it just never occurred to me to share that with him. it just never came up.) so... not traumatic at all. just not an issue. i mention it spontaneously when i think it's appropriate, and i answer honestly when asked, and the rest of the time, what to eat is more interesting lol. lox. i like lox.

g

The tricky part for me was leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses, wondering would it destroy my marriage. As it happened, my wife had more issues with me than religion. So the marriage lasted a few more years and I went from generic Christian to atheist to agnostic, that last step mostly thanks to Rupert Sheldrake, a British scientist who believes in God.

Probably around 2008 and it wasn't hard. I never really talked about it much, but if people keep asking me what i believe I might as well tell them.

I knew at age 12, but didn't come clean until around age 25-ish... to friends, mostly. My parents found out through my best friend...but I received little back lash...I simply reminded them that they always asked my sisters and I to believe in something, if not in a "god"....I told them that I believe more in myself, than I do any god. I told them that when times got hard, it was my friends, and my children, that held me together, not a god.
I told them that they raised me to think for myself, and I thanked them for introducing me to Catholicism and Southern Baptist Christianity, and it caused me to question and learn about other cultures and religions... in the end, I give thanks to those around me, because they seem to listen and appreciate it more, than "a god".

As soon as I became one. I've gone through various phases since leaving christianity in my teens. At 18 I'da said agnostic but "spiritual" at 21 I'da said buddhist and probably by around 25 I said fuck it Im an atheist. Ive never had too much of a problem just stating where Im at, but it usually comes out at my parents during a combative moment if they try to guilt me. Within the last couple years I'm inclined to say Satanist just because my antitheism has reached an inward pitch of "burn this motherfucker to the ground!" lately.

When did i come out? I was born on July 7 1951. How did I come out? Head first. First reaction? To my astonishment I was naked and in bed with a lady.

I came out at 16. The girlfriend I had at the time (the most important person in the world to me at the time) simply asked not to discuss it. Other friends either didn't care or told me I'd burn in hell.

A brother who had just found Jesus while in a drugged stupor while having his broken arm put in a cast told me that we couldn't associate anymore (which changed over the years). And the rest of my family didn't care. Well, I have to say my mom cared as a catholic, but had made sure that I completed every sacrement needed to get into heaven well before 16 so she's pretty sure I'll end up in heaven with her anyway.

I only come "out" when it is necessary. I really don't see my religion or lack of one is anyone business but mine.