sarahlee Posted July 12, 2012 Posted July 12, 2012 My closest friend is my cousin, so we've literally grown up together. Up until a year ago when I went off to college and she enlisted to the marines, we spent everyday together, including at church, where we were well known as being good, devout young women. In college, I lost (or should I say found) my way, and started to completly rejected the notion of a god. Coming from a religious family, I couldn't tell anyone about it, but I knew that a time would come when I would want to come out to my cousin. So a couple of days ago I called her, expecting the worst. When she answered, I told her that I had to tell her something, but she couldn't be mad. She said ok, and I told her that I don't believe in god anymore. There was silence on the other end of the phone, and I thought might have hung up on me, until she told me HER secret: she didn't believe in god either. She didn't tell me because she didn't want to dissappoint ME just like I didn't want to dissapoint HER. It was definitely something I needed to hear. 4
Super Moderator buffettphan Posted July 12, 2012 Super Moderator Posted July 12, 2012 Great news! As well as being surprised and happy, I bet you're also relieved! You both are very fortunate... AND smart.
oddbird1963 Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 sniff . . . sniff. Isn't it beautiful when non-believers find each other!?
atkegar Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Hope that the 2 of you can sometime talk more about your mutual loss of belief. Best for you in the future
GardenerGal Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 wow - do you know how rare that is? hope this is the new beginning of a long and loving friendship between you two.
jaws78 Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I hope you all were joking when you said it. I write on this site cause religion damaged my life when I was younger. Nothing more the world wants to do to a person who goes to church than say don't cuss, you can't do this because of your religion, he needs to stay in church, and so on and so on and so on. I had my head beat in when I was a kid and had to have the EMS jump start my vitals, including heartbeat, more than once. believe me, there is a God. I lost memory of this til recently and won't ever lose my belief in God or Jesus.
Kaiser01 Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Its always good to know you have some one else there. I went about a year and a half without a knowing another atheist around me, when i found one, from the most unlikely of places (the group red neck) I was so relived.
Kaiser01 Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I hope you all were joking when you said it. I write on this site cause religion damaged my life when I was younger. Nothing more the world wants to do to a person who goes to church than say don't cuss, you can't do this because of your religion, he needs to stay in church, and so on and so on and so on. I had my head beat in when I was a kid and had to have the EMS jump start my vitals, including heartbeat, more than once. believe me, there is a God. I lost memory of this til recently and won't ever lose my belief in God or Jesus. Please if you would explain to me your belief.
sarahlee Posted July 13, 2012 Author Posted July 13, 2012 Kaiser! Happy birthday! Hey! We're the same age!
Guest Valk0010 Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I hope you all were joking when you said it. I write on this site cause religion damaged my life when I was younger. Nothing more the world wants to do to a person who goes to church than say don't cuss, you can't do this because of your religion, he needs to stay in church, and so on and so on and so on. I had my head beat in when I was a kid and had to have the EMS jump start my vitals, including heartbeat, more than once. believe me, there is a God. I lost memory of this til recently and won't ever lose my belief in God or Jesus. I wouldn't be. I would love to have a fellow excer in real life. Ohh btw even if there is a god(there isn't), there is no proof at all, that he would care for christianity.
Kaiser01 Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Kaiser! Happy birthday! Hey! We're the same age! Thank you sarahlee, i appreciate it.
Blue elephant Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Hey sarahlee So many young people on the Ex-c forums feel lonely and isolated in their Ex-Christian status. Surrounded by Christian family and all their school firends etc are all still believing. You are so fortunate to have a former Christian friend in real life that shares your history and life story. Do all you can to encourage closer ties with your friend / cousin. This will provide tremendous support for you over the next few years.
MrsRoper Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 This is a great story. It made me smile. Real friends will love you no matter what, but it's wonderful you have an ally. 1
sarahlee Posted July 13, 2012 Author Posted July 13, 2012 I really am thankful (?) that she's in my life. She's my only true blue friend, so it's nice that she isn't gonna be freaking out that I'm going to hell everytime I talk to her. It's a huge relief! And I have no one to tell it to, so I went online.
London Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Kaiser! Happy birthday! Hey! We're the same age! Thank you sarahlee, i appreciate it. Happy Birthday Kaiser! and @sarahlee, what a great story.
lunaticheathen Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 It's always good to have an ally in this kind of thing. This is good to hear. jaws, why the fuck do you care what others believe? Fuck off. 1
SusanStoHeli Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 That's wonderful! I think it's happening more and more - so many of us are in the closet, but more are starting to come out. I remember coming out to my closest friend - turns out she's ex-christian, and spiritual, her husband varies between atheistic, buddhist, and spiritual. It was nice to have that out in the open (after about 2 years of knowing her).
♦ ficino ♦ Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Wonderful story, Sarahlee, so glad that you are friends in the first place above being cousins, and that you are thinking along the same lines.
Antlerman Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I sometimes forget how isolated someone can feel when they don't believe in God the way their friends, family, and communities do. I have several close friends with similar views in my own support network. It's important to have those you trust as friends who understand and support you on your own path away from the herd. It's great that your best friend has turned out to be such a person for you. Good things ahead.
♦ nivek ♦ Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 saralee, Welcome to this little Community of fellow travelers. Your journey is going to be different than your friends, what you see, feel, experience will oft be inexplicable to those still holding on. Ask questions, learn from those who have been there, done that, read extimonies of others who have escaped clutches of religious proctors. We're here to help those like yourself, providing a safe place to express yourself. kevinL
♦ nivek ♦ Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I hope you all were joking when you said it. I write on this site cause religion damaged my life when I was younger. Nothing more the world wants to do to a person who goes to church than say don't cuss, you can't do this because of your religion, he needs to stay in church, and so on and so on and so on. I had my head beat in when I was a kid and had to have the EMS jump start my vitals, including heartbeat, more than once. believe me, there is a God. I lost memory of this til recently and won't ever lose my belief in God or Jesus. Care to explain this? Inclined to mark you as an "Authentic christian" as you state the above as your belief. Clarify please. kevinL
Ro-bear Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 How fortunate you are to have found another escapee in real life! I have a few friends who are skeptical about religion, but none are quite as dismissive of god-belief as I am. I still count myself lucky to have friends and family tolerant enough so that I don't have to lie or hide my apostasy.
jblueep Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 That's awesome Sarah! I am proud of your generation
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