Deconversion

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So, I was born into a house filled with dogma, and for about 16 years of my life, I didn't know any better. Born deep into the Bible belt, anything but Christianity was held in utter contempt, and education was fairly bad, as my home state was one of the ones that was considering teaching Creationism. Anyway, around age 16, I began to have various doubts about the whole about the morality and factuality of the tome, and I also felt that following Christianity ate time worse than my habits of computer use and video gaming, while contributing less overall into productive society as a whole.

My parents were constantly stressed and busy whenever they were involved with the church, with my mom constantly acting as secretary, childrens church pastor, and what else she could do, and my dad being the other half of the childrens church, along with handling duties of maintenance, trying to organize a worship team into something that resembled competent harmony while also playing guitars of various kinds himself.

And that was only on sunday. The long point being, it occupied much of their time, and I was oft dragged out to events either to help, or to participate. Understandably, many of these events were loud, and I feel that in part, the loud music is why I have a bias to not prefer English lyrical music.

And ugh, lingering services. You thought a 30 minute sermon was long? Try 2-4 hours after the fact of a one hour sermon. I'm simply glad to have had some form of electronic entertainment or escape at the time.

That's not even getting started on the matter of youth services, but I feel I am simply prattling on at this point, and will digress.

By the age of 17, I had essentially quit listening and believing, but wasn't able to confront my parents on the matter; when confronted, I said I needed time to reconsider my relation with their god, but I didn't phrase it like that.

The final nail is when I discovered Carl Sagan's Cosmos. I had the book, and looked at the pretty pictures, but it was until I heard his voice and listened to what he had to say about the all of everything that I finally broke the final shackles; as who needed a great creator when factual evidence and beauty was there in the universe, and all around us, and why do we need for all these things and differences if we are of the same molecules?

I still have yet to tell my parents the truth outright; I feel they couldn't comprehend a world without a deity. I find myself still tossing the idea around, but certainly not the corrupt and old Judeo-Christian god.

So, my question is; have you deconverted, have you told others, and why?

Your Parents:
I feel you telling your parents has a little more to do with vengeance then anything else. What good can come of it? I don't see any. They won't accept your deconversion, and I guess if you don't care for their approval or for your relationship to them, then go for it. I am reacting as one who has deconverted myself.

Carl Sagan
Also, I don't see how one can't arrive at that same position as a believing christian, and I'm referring to your discovering of Carl Sagan's book, The Cosmos. It is a beautiful book. and we are of the same molecules, but ours is assembled beautifully in a way that allows life, which is in the final analysis, quite magical if you think about it. Life is possible in this universe, that the laws that govern this universe allow for it is quite spectacular.

The text is not Corrupt.
The way you have learned it up until this part of your life has been primitive, the way it is understood by 90% of Christians in this country has been primitive, they think they can have Jesus without his Judaism and that is not possible without inventing an entirely new character... which essentially, they have.

My final take is this:
Continue to ask questions, and never stop challenging your theism/atheism. But please revisit the text as an adult, with accompanying commentary. Also, I don't think you should tell your parents unless you don't know how(or want) to act differently around them. Or... if you just don't care. Good luck.

As it currently stands, MarketAndChurch, I am currently 21, but they are rather overprotective, and I still depend on them for roof and other benefits. I feel that coming out would possibly lead to termination of said benefits. The pastor I did listen to in the while who wasn't just feeding a bunch of baby christians was utterly fascinating, and I'd be more than happy to listen to it from a secular position in honest interest, as long as its all kept factual.