My kids, my brothers kids and I are atheists, rest of the family, far and wide are religious.
I don;t think that is the reason we have little to do with them, but hey are very condescending and arrogant.
Almost all our firends are atheists.
The old saying I guess, you can choose your friends but etc etc

Leaving religion behind has created a gulf between me and my extended family. After my family refused to allow me to speak at my mother's funeral, I was happy to walk away. I don't regret it.

I've been shunned for more than honesty

The member that really mater in my family accept me as I am. Non beliefs included

You'll feel much worse if you hide your true self. You can fix feeling alone. Once your integrity is gone, that's another story.

I am foretunate in that there are several in my family who have been finished with believing for a long time. The believers in the family have their heartfelt need to help and will try, from time-to-time. Needlessly to say, it was easy to cage the arguement with their own beliefs.

I have talked with my fellow non believers to stop the trapping. The believer who truely love us are only trying to help, in their minds. To them, it is a horror that we will spent all of the rest of time (which never ends) in hell.

Everyone will shun you eventually and even though you are not aware of it. Keep this thought in the back of your head. Always look for new people, friends, co workers and a new path to walk and venture on. The biggest disallusion I ever had in my life was that my brothers would turn on me for their own egotistical gleam. I can tell you that its been almost 35 yrs. since they did this and they are very lonely people and do not know how to undo what they now realize was their mistake, not mine. I know that I've mentioned this before but I was in 6 Weddings during my life and I haven't seen them since. My Dad once told me about that and I found it hard to grasp but kept it in the back of my mind like I did with many things that he explained to me and for which I am so much a better person for.

My friends are fine with it or they wouldn't be my friends.

My family is usually just fine. I have one BIL who makes me a bit crazy but who doesn't? There's always that "one". lol

Constantly, with my family I get called a trouble maker for trying to have honest conversations. It's tiresome, either anger or gaslighting are favourite responses.I have to limit my time with my family. Friends on the other hand, tend to be more respectful of my views, even believers. I guess if they weren't we wouldn't be as close.

It has definately created a barrier in our family. I have had all sorts of accusations thrwon at me over the years, arrogant, lack of open mind, morally questionable, lacking in logical thinking. For me it is easily the other way round on all accounts,

Most definetly ... RC mom thinks I am heartless and mean when Irefuse to play into the ‘pray for me’ pity party she hosts on a weekly basis... with all the gun shootings at schools I’ll hear about how terrible it is and that we need to pray for the families, I’m like No, we need to do something to actively change it... I have very little patience for passivity

Its been so long since I came out to speak - its not an issue for me. We live far apart and just talk on phone.