Sounds to me like your mother has been crumbling her own faith, probably for quite some time, and that she's a very intelligent woman who, like many others, never felt free to express her intelligence and free-thinking. I hope she's about to start doing so!

Now bake her cookies and get her all the way to the darkside !!!

Don't be too happy about this. You have helped her see the light, granted, but you have also taken away her security, her sense that there is always Someone out there who will take care of her. You will need to help her build a new set of coping skills so she doesn't feel cast adrift. My suggestion would be to not push it, and to let her set the direction of any conversations you have on this topic. Her fellow church members could also work together to convince her that Satan is using you to lead her astray, so she's not out of the woods yet. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, just my two cents' worth.

How heartwarming. ? I’m happy that you and she had that breakthrough.

I've noticed that sometimes planting seeds works wonders.

Hopefully she will find her way to be free of the guilt of sin and the fear of Hell.

My introduction to Christianity was having the elders in my family telling me I was going to burn in hell if I sinned. They didn't tell me what sin was and I didn't ask because I thought if I didn't know what it was I could get away with it. I think I was an atheist right out of the chute! I was constantly asking questions about the loving god and his role in disasters, starving children, wars and all the other stuff that seemed out of step with an earthly Christian paradise. I am constantly amazed at seemingly stable, Intelligent people who would gladly have the bible as the law of the land. Brainwashing is hard to overcome. I hope your mother finds the peace she seeks.

Thats amazing to be able to have that conversation with your mom!

Mother Theresa said very late in life that she had not felt the presence of God in her life for over 50 years. It's never too late for humanism and reason.

Congratulations.. Too bad my conversations with family always ends up in treating me like I'm a devil worshiper lol

When I lost my faith, it wasn't one big waking up moment. It was a series of small earthquakes that really shook me, until I realized what I was left standing on was not a foundation stable enough to build a life on. Realizing that was huge, and I definitely went through a mourning process. Church had been such a big part of my life. Be patient with her, she's really feeling that loss and uncertainty right now.

That's awesome that you and your mother can talk about that! It can really bring you closer and you now have a better understanding with each other. I'm happy for you

I’m so happy for you.

That's awesome. I wish I could have a conversation like that with my sister. She recently decided being one of the faithful was not enough irrationality for her. She is now in training to become some kind of alternative medicine doctor person thingy. Apparently there is an actual training course for this. I always figured they just made stuff up as they went along.

She actually said to me that all disease is mental and can be cured with the right attitude. So of course I ask "Uh, so all the cancer patients in the world are only sick because they have a bad attitude and can cure themselves by thinking away their tumors?"

Still waiting on an answer to that one.

Faith is how ignorance copes with the unknown. It's all about education and understanding. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a self limiting thing to rely on. It's an opiate that calms restless curiosity at the expense of continued growth. As C S Lewis said, " only the vulnerable move among mysteries ". And the letting go of beliefs in order to expand ones understanding is not an easy addiction to break. Being an atheist should be the natural condition and unremarkable. What makes it controversial is that faith has spoiled the purity of thought and created such an obsticle to what's obvious.

It sounds like a productive conversation. Something I like to make clear with devout people is that I'm not trying to change their mind about their own faith but rather to show that my perspective isn't unreasonable. It would seem you had something of a breakthrough with your mother in this regard. ?

Love this!

SO happy for you!

It's really impressive that you were able to get past the usual knee-jerk defensiveness. You must really have great communication skills. You may have reinforced the cracks in her belief. Maybe she'll come to her senses. Brava!

I am so happy for you, for both of you. Such an emotional thing.

I couldn't imagine having that conversation with my fundamentalist mother. I hope yours turns out good for both of you. I don't know why some people have such a hard time letting go of false beliefs.

Glad to see she still understands and supports your views, many aren't that fortunate.

That must've been SUCH a gratifying moment! I hope your relationship continues to grow. "Coming out" isn't easy for anyone...admitting you've been wrong in a deeply-held belief. Good for her. (And, I'm very sorry about the ''wayward and sinful'' insults. Those must hurt.)

Ahh nice. My mom is just a conformist that wishes I were a conformist.

That's awesome