My adopted father kicked me from the table b/c I wouldn't hold hands and pray with them. I said something along the lines of you can go ahead but I would rather not hold hands and participate in the prayer....so I got a well you can get up from my table then. I was a 40 something year old man, over there visiting with my youngest daughter (19 at time).

A year or so later, we were able to sit down and talk. At first we traded verses, then I was told I was confused and misguided, then at the end he admitted he didn't understand why prayers and faith didn't seem to work as the bible promised, but was too scared of hell (to face the truth).

I was never close to either of them, always knew of my adoption and felt the outsider anyway, only child and grew up a loner, so while it sucks....it doesn't affect me the same as it might others. I would say that having quality and loving people in your life is more important than keeping a relationship with someone who doesn't respect you simply b/c you don't believe in their superstitions, regardless of shared DNA or decades old legal custody judgments. It's hard, and it sucks...but it's a honing process that makes you a sharper, keener, happier person IMO.

it's odd because i KNOW there are christians who keep it to themselves and don't bother others with it. i know some of them. they accept me for the atheistic jew i am. i have taken a lot more shit in my life for being jewish than for being an atheist, actually, but that is probably because there is no such thing as an atheistic name lol. anyway, i certainly took no flak from my family over it. however, i know you're not alone because i see here all kinds of tsuris people get from their family and so-called friends in the rabid christian community, and i am sorry you're going through that.

g

I experienced not so much being pushed away but a sense of my family not sure what they should say or to invite me to baptisms or other religious ceremonies. I'm sure that some may have been concerned about my non existent immortal soul but nobody actually ever said that to me. I assured my family that I was not here to :change them and that appeared to settle things down.

If they really are true family and friends, this should not be happening.