Alright, do not listen to these people. They're coming from a safe place, free of anything but judgement for their lack of belief. You didn't provide many details, but you're talking about "disaster."

Yeah, ignore most of these posts.

If your lack of belief is going to put you in danger, or cause your parents to kick you out and put you on the street (if you live with them), if there's even any chance of those things happening, keep your fucking mouth shut.

If you depend on them for money, and you telling them might see that withdrawn, keep your fucking mouth shut.

If, however, the only issue is maybe they try to drag you to church more often, or you get stern lectures on occasion, then it's up to you. You can tell them, but gauge the room.

It depends. I resolved that I could nto have a close relationship with my parents unless they really knew who I was as a person. However, my telling them did tn bring us closer. In the beginning it kind of kept us apart a bit but then things eventually settled back to "normal" except they stopped trying to get me to go back to church.

What is saddest about family that believes is that they put your inability to believe on you. They think it is a failure o your part and not the belief itself which is at fault. They will ask you if you prayed. If you say yes and nothign ever came of it, then they will tell you that YOU weren't doing it right.

It amazes me that people know that back in biblical times the mentally ill were said to have been "touched by god" or "touched by the gods". If anyone today claimed to see things that nobody else coudl see or her voices tht nobody else could hear, they would be deemed mentally unfit. However in ancient times they were considered to be "prophets". Just because a person with a metal illness in ancient times was highly functional in their daily lives does not mean they really had any insight greater than anyone else. If we don't look to such people today, why shoudl we venerate such people who lived long ago?

If your parents lives center around religion, It may not be a good idea to challenge them with the ideas in that last paragraph.

Humans evolved in groups because it was safer and easier to survive through cooperation. In some people an instinct to be be a part of a group and have a sense of belonging is still pretty strong. Religion fulfills that instinctual need to belong and be a part of a group. It makes them feel "safe". I think fulfilling that6 instinctual need is hte only positive thign religion does for a person, but some people need that more than others.

You don't NEED to tell them. It depends on how they are. How far would they go? If they would disown you, never want to see you again, then no.. To me, it's not worth giving up a relationship with parents. I had to make that choice as well many years ago with my mother. Some of us call it "picking your battles" .. If winning is telling them, but the outcome of the battle is worse than if you don't fight it,,, then just walk away. You could win the battle by telling them and hope they accept you, but what if they don't? Is it worth losing that relationship you have with them over? Sometimes it's better to just walk away. That's how I feel about it anyway. It's a messed up position to be in for sure. Just another one of the awful side affects of religion.

Confess strikes me as a religious word. I just flat-out told them all, and yes, it can have serious results. For me, I did not care, because I see christianity as just another form of prejudice. A christian once told me:

"So if I find God, I learn the way of God, I instantly hate everyone else?? Fail to see the logic in that bridging of those ideas. I am a Christian and I do not hate anyone."
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My response was:
It is not always a conscious thing . . . . you have to look at the base of the belief. . . . and that is that certain people are "saved", and certain people are not, and those who are not will burn in hell. When you dehumanize other people, and picture them as being unworthy, i.e. ("do not throw your pearls before swine" ), "swine"? . . . that is clearly and unambiguously a form of hate. Why not seek what is best for ALL of mankind, the World as a whole, all races, all cultures, rather than being divisive?

Additionally, within my family there are racists and people who defend the child molesting abusive father . . . . so there is no point in dealing with them short of them changing their ways.

You will have to make this decision based on just how strong you and your principles are, and expect repercussions if you do say something, they are unavoidable once you step through that door.

I never did. I don’t care enough about religion to create a family rift over.

Once I left home, I only had to attend a church service a couple of times a year and wait a minute or so for their prayers before family meals. I can live with that. No big deal.

Sure, tell them. Take no religious BS!

I am 50 years old and my parents are still I'm trying to convince me to worship some fairies. It might help to remember some things from the Bible. For instance if they truly believe in the Bible then it tells us that we are all created in God's image and we are all created perfect. So you are perfect Just As You Are. I'm using talk to text so pardon the random capitalization. If you are perfect Just As You Are and the Bible commands people not to judge then they should accept you as we are to love others as ourselves. Okay that sounded really churchy but it might help. That's how I handle my parents. They usually leave me alone once I've used their text against them. If they try to fight it I simply tell them that they cannot pick and choose what part of the religion they accept and what part they don't. Good luck to you and just remember to be gentle. They get comfort from their belief just as you get comfort from your lack of belief.