How do I tell my pressuring mother that I'm an agnostic/atheist?

Unfortunately nothing you say is going to stop your mum. Being raised in a religious home and having your parents beliefs constantly shoved down your throat is very hard. The only thing you can do is put up with it until you think you can move out of home. Your still a child and your mother still has parental rights and guardianship over you and while she does she is going to keep trying to "save your soul". Sounds like you respect your mum and her religious beliefs even though they go against what you personally believe which is really good and im proud of you for that. If you do say something to your mum about it she will probably get the church involved and maybe counselling.

If things do get really bad and you cant find any escape and in extreme circumstances you need to take other actions. You love your mum this is obvious but if she continues the psychologicalical abuse you need to stand up for yourself. You have rights too and they should be respected. Child protection services are availible and you can even talk to a lawyer about divorcing your parents. These are extreme actions and i dont recommend them unless things get really bad. You just need to be aware that they are there for you and to help when you really do need it it.

You are caught in the middle, your mothers beliefs on one side, your observations that some of the things you are being told are unsatisfactory.

If you want to approach the problem from a "what would cause the least amount of harm" angle. Maybe you'll have to pretend for 5 to 7 years more. When you are an adult will she not feel it's so important as when you are your present age ?

The creation myths and god testimonials from the different religions do seem pretty bizarre.

There is one "religion" out there that isn't a religion that i won't name , if i did you'd think i was trying to convert you.Hold onto your observations, act according to your inner sense of "morals", with kindness and compassion. If your inner sense finds things "unsatisfactory" enough it will drive you to find a belief system that will help you deal with the problems.

First off, Southern Baptist families are very hard to come out of the atheist closet with. I know quite a few people that decided to tell their parents they were atheist and it didn't turn out too well. So basically there are two paths your can take.

The first option would be to come out to your parents. They might not accept it at first and they may even be angry with you. When I came out to my parents they thought it was a "phase" and refused to believe that I was truly atheist. Therefore, I read books on atheism, and this eventually proved to them that I was truly what I said I was. It wasn't the easiest of paths, and still eight years later my grandparents still don't know that I am atheist, because I am still afraid of what they will think.

The second option would be to fake belief. You don't really have to go to extreme lengths to make people think you are still Christian, but just enough where they won't really question you. This is honestly probably the easier of the two paths, because you don't have to deal with the family issues that come to being if you come out. When you come of age and move out of your parent's house, then you can come out as you will not be forced to live under their rule.

I understand that you may want to stand up for your beliefs and take the first option. But trust me, sometimes it's just not worth it. Don't be ashamed to take the second path. I again know a few atheists that have taken the same path and they had a much easier time.

Also, if you decide to tell your parents, make sure you have them sit down as you explain why you believe. Maybe have a list set up for what you want to tell them.

Bailey W,

It is surely difficult coming out to religiously devout Christians, who are not shy about their belief in eternal d*mnation, and saying you're an agnostic/atheist.

What is most difficult is not being able to predict how she might react. Some parents do not react well to their children's beliefs. If you have a feeling your mother will react in such a way, I suggest keeping them to yourself. You will be forced to go to Church, and this isn't always a bad thing. This is the time you can use to decide what you believe on certain issues.

Tell your mother if you believe it must be known, but if you can't, do not.

Good luck. :)

If coming out of the atheist closet could bring a lot of suffering to you, then I suggest stay in it for another 5 years until you are 18. I know that seems like a long time, but it will seem like even longer with your mom believing you are going to hell. My advice is that if you think it will be traumatic for your family, and therefore you, just go through the motions for a few more years. In fact you could use this time to cement your beliefs by doing some in depth bible study (This is what led me to be an atheist! Trust me, there is some heinous sh!t in the bible!!)

Basically, I advise you 'keep the peace' while you are under their roof.

If your mother is how you describe her she will send you to a sit-down with your preacher real quick. I am an atheist, raised in a Christian home, sent to Christian schools.... blah blah blah. Only because you are so young I will tell you to keep an open mind. At your age it is easy to be influenced and your mother will see it that way. Let her know that you are questioning your faith, but not that you have renounced it completely. It is hard for a Christian mother to accept that her child has chosen not to believe. So you have to take her feelings into consideration. Good luck to you, science nerds rock!!

You write like a well educated adult and explained yourself clearly like one, yet I do believe you are 13 as you say you are. I would let her alone and not bother her about your beliefs right now, I would check out other philosophies of interest to you. Check out the Coptic scriptures they are really interesting, even if you don't believe in them they make for interesting reading.

Back to the subject of your mother. She needs to learn that not everyone is cut out to have faith like she does and others are cut out for the academic world, others are cut out for sports. Just let her know when you feel ready.

If your mother is like Daddy Dennis,

don't even bother.

It would be a lot worse to deal with that for 5 years

then to go to church for 5 years.

Are you sure you're really 13? most write and talk in txt speak.

Just sit her down one day for a chat, and talk as intelligently as you do here,

with your reasons about it all. Don't be afraid!

Baily,

Have you ever noticed on the money we use it says "In God We Trust"? This money is the world's preferred currency. It is used for trading oil and thus is the blood of the financial world.

You have been honest and truthful about what is in your heart. You have decided to become unrepentant and question God Almighty openly. Thus, you start inviting new fears into your life. If you feared only God, you would not be afraid of being honest with your mom. But since you now fear millions of things more than the wrath of God on your head, you have to start getting used to being nervous.

The only way your Atheist brothers keep this fear from driving them crazy is to laugh at anything and everything. To fill your mind and life with sin keeps your mind off of the unnatural fear that looms over your head at all times.

I suggest you trust in God. You may not believe He is 100% real, but trust 100% in the fact that His will is going to be done. As God wants, so it will be.

He wants you to be free. Buying into the fad of Atheism is not freedom. It is slavery to a merciless and sadistic master. While you were singing Psalms to heaven and learning scripture, the wolves were sharpening their fangs. They smell you coming. Their first target is going to be convincing you to hurt your mother very badly.