Dealing with Friend & Family Abandonment After Leaving Christianity | Bri - CA | Talk Heathen 04.08

Talk Heathen 04.08 for February 23, 2020 with Eric Murphy & Dr. Darrel Ray.

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WHAT IS TALK HEATHEN?

Talk Heathen is a weekly call-in television show in Austin, Texas geared toward long-form and on-going dialogue with theists & atheists about religion, theism, & secularism. Talk Heathen is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin.

Talk Heathen is filmed in front of a live studio audience every week at the Freethought Library of the Atheist Community of Austin.

The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop & support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing & friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of government-religion separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists & to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

We define atheism as the lack of belief in gods. This definition also encompasses what most people call agnosticism.

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NOTES

The views and opinions expressed by hosts, guests, or callers are their own and not necessarily representative of the Atheist Community of Austin.

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[deoccultist]

Luckily, when I denounced Christianity, I didn't experiencing anything too harsh, but I did get told once I couldn't live in my grandmother's house if I openly wore a pentagram pendant.

What actually made her do a 180 on me was when I came out as trans. Well, not at first, but she did express that she "didn't approve". I didn't live with her at that time, though, and moved around a lot. I'm on SSI disability, so it's been difficult finding a place to live that I can afford.

Well, I had applied for housing, and I was in a homeless situation, so I asked my grandmother if I could stay at her house until housing came through. She said, "I can't have you here, " and "I'm sorry you're going through this, but it's the lifestyle you chose." My mother turned me away, also, but she and I haven't had a relationship in a long time for other reasons.

There's a lot more to the story, but the point is about Christian "love". One of the spiels I got from my grandmother after coming out was about unconditional love. In my definition, that's supposed to mean that no matter what is going on with you, no matter who you are, no matter what changes you've gone through, someone will always be there for you, and not judge you. I think, to my grandmother, that means "I love you in a religious-y way, but not in a truly caring, familial way."

I truly believe that religion is a form of abuse in and of itself. It's self-abuse, and it's abuse of your loved ones, especially of children. This caller is proof of how dangerous a cult Christianity is in how it has caused her mental and emotional grief. I really hope it fades and dies. To me, the only decent version of Christianity is Gnosticism.

[jasonjones]

I would just leave them. Family doesn't mean much if they don't love you.

[Diviance]

Honestly, if they abandon you for not believing the same stuff they do... they never really cared about you anyway. You are better off without anyone who will abandon you like that.

[awakeningblacksheep]

I got called a heathen, a long time church friend turned on me on a dime and told me I needed a psychiatrist etc.. etc... while I was heavily into the church I was a alcoholic, it's been a few years since leaving religion and I'm no longer an alcoholic, no longer depressed, no longer suicidal...because I'm no longer confused, I'm no longer being told I'm unworthy, lost hurt and broken...it is so crazy when you realize you were so deeply involved with something that was supposed to make you happy and heal but was the cause of your mental and emotional stress..if that's not F'd up I don't know what is....

[blacknbougie]

Nobody knows I'm atheist except my brother, sister and ex husband. If I tell everyone else, esp my oldest sister, she'll blame my atheism for not living my best life. I just got my finances in order to be able to travel and enjoy my life a bit but she'll say I let the devil get ahold of me and that's why I'm so behind in life. I'd rather just keep it to myself.