how can i tell my mom im an athiest?

Question

my mother is a very religious person, im wondering if there is any way i could tell her the truth with out hurting her emotionally, im only 16, thus it will be difficult for her to understand.....

here is a bit of info-
-she goes to a bible study every thursday, has done so for 15 years
-attends church regularly
-is the leader of the local chapter of a national prayer group called "Moms in Touch", the leader and founder of the local group
-reads books on how to pray
-and tries to prove shes a better christian than everyone else
-very republican
-uses scripture in every other sentance
-has been through the emmaus program
-and again multiple times as a table leader

what is my best option to tell her im an athiest,
while not hurting her in any specific way
i dont want to hurt her feelings but i dont want to lie anymore on how i believe in a "god"
thanks

Answer 1

just wait til your 18 & off to college
then tell her

Answer 2

You will hurt her much, much more by not telling her. You can probably trust her with the knowledge that you are an atheist.
Her being republican would have nothing to do with it.
If she is really in touch with God, then God can sustain her.
She might show herself to be very upset at first, and she just might pray for you. If there is no God who answers prayer, you needn't worry about it. If there is a God who answers prayer, you'll be grateful for her prayers when He brings you around to faith in Him! Actually, I mean this.
If you continue not to believe in God and she finds this out when you are 25 years old that you never trusted her enough to talk with her about it when you were 16, then she will be very hurt. I know. I'm a father of 5 adult kids, and though I haven't seen everything I've seen a lot. - Maybe way too much, in fact.

Answer 3

You cannot escape a mothers prayers!
No matter what you think , Jesus will always be in your heart

You can go asstray with the world views but your mothers prayers will never leave your being and God will never abandon her cries to for him to always be with her child.

Your not an athiest, but just in rebellion

How do I know? Because my mom was the same way.She was so religious I thought I was gonna rip my hair out. She would sing gosspel songs and I would turn up Madonna. My mom read scriptures to me and even tried to annoint oil on my head before I jumped out my window and screamed at her. At 16 I ran away from home to NYC.No more God for me(at least I thought) I partied with the best of the best, I drank and did things I shouldnt have done. I lived the life I thought a life should be lived PARTY!!!

Many times my life almost eneded but it seemed something or a force was there standing guard.I tried to ignore it but something was always sparing me from the worst-

At age 23 when the parties were over and my life was lost it was my mom's prayers that lead God to extend his hand to bring me out of the darkest hole someone could be in.

God took me and gave me a new life with hope and a future
and its all because my mom stood with God and that is why God stood with me.


You know God is there because I know no matter how hard you try to turn away, Jesus is always saying Im here in you heart. Just as Jesus left the flock for the lost little sheep, He will be there for you in your time of need-

Mom's aren't perfect they can get excited and sometimes preachy when it comes to Jesus. Mabe when your a parent someday you'll understand but until then don't be so hard on her.

You can tell her today what you think you are (athiest) and God will only strengthen her more for the fight.

The best thing I can tell you to do is to ask God this
God if your real as mom so crazily claims, can you proove yourself to me before I go my WAY?

He will show you, if you ask. Don't be stubborn just to get your way but challenge God to show you the way-

Answer 4

In a perfect world, your mother would love you just the way you are and respect your decisions. In a real world, she'll probably get pretty mad... I've heard a few horror stories. My husband won't tell his parents he's Pagan. (They're "very Christian," which means they only go to church on Christmas and Easter, but they hate everyone who isn't Christian.) We still go to Christmas services with my husband's family, and pray with them and stuff just to appease them! Sometimes, it's just easier to pretend to maintain peace. I personally never discuss my religious beliefs (Pagan) with my mother, who is Catholic. I also don't have a close relationship with my mother, so I don't care if my mother knows who I really am.

Since you're still a dependent, and you probably want to maintain peace with your mother, you may just want to be ambiguous about your inner beliefs. It's tough, but sometimes it's easier than how your mom will treat you. Then again, I don't know your mother and how she'll react.

Do you have a close friend you can discuss this with instead? Someone who knows you and your mother would be a better judge.

Good luck!

Answer 5

It might be best to wait until you're in a position to not live in your home anymore.

I don't know your mother and your relationship and I can only speak from experiences that others have shared with me but it sounds like she'll be a bit... upset about your coming into the light of atheism.

It took about a year from the time I became an atheist to when I told my mother and she was very upset, but I was an adult and no longer living with her.

You, on the other hand, still live at home and would have to deal her daily.

Again, I don't know your situation so only you would know how she would react and how it would impact you.

Answer 6

If I were you, I would just begin to challenge certain notions of religion with her. Just make it like a gradual thing. A month later tell her you don't want to go to church anymore. She's probably not stupid, so she'll ge the idea that you're becoming a non-believer. If you stand your ground about not going to church and the challenges you have, she'll eventually ask you herself if you're an Atheist. For your sake just say "I don't know, but I really don't believe in religion anymore," or be completely honest depending on how you think she'll react.

Deep down inside you know if she loves you or not. She'll be hurt but accept you, at any age, if she loves you. Eventually it will become a non-issue and she may doubt religion herself. I became a non-believer and now my mom rejects christianity for all my logical reasons (she wasn't hardcore about religion, but she believed).

Answer 7

Step around it with out easily asserting the be conscious "atheist". Say something like, i've got been thinking approximately God and the whole theory and that i'm no longer probably confident that I trust each and every thing, and so on and so on.

Answer 8

Simple, cite some bible verses saying about tolerance and stuff and then tell her. If she does something horrible call her a hypocrite and the argument will progress from there. Do what goes to you. You're 16, rebellion is common.

Answer 9

Why tell her is she asking you every day do you believe in GOD?
If or when she does just tell her you are getting older and need to figure out things on your own. No matter what you say if she is a very strick christian it will be hard for her to accept.

Answer 10

You dont have to let her know if shes too religious ,But if you think she needs to know because she wants you to do things like paying etc that you dont want to .So if you can have the logical reason for being an atheist ,so give her your reasons .Maybe she can help you to be a believer or maybe you will convince her to understand your explanation.

Answer 11

Smartest thing would be to wait until you have finished your education, gotten a self-supporting job, and moved from your mother's house.
At that point, you would be mature enough to make a rational decision about whether and how to tell your mother.

At 16 it would be a mistake to tell her, for your sake and hers. Keep it a secret between you and yourself for now perhaps.