The Aftermath

Everyone was very accepting of my husband being an atheist accept his mom and some friends.  The friends were simply uncomfortable, but his mom could not accept it and still struggles with it.  At one point, she cornered me in my own kitchen and practically demanded that I bring him back to the church.  I flat out told her that wasn't happening, and she backed off.  All three of her boys, and both her daughters-in-law are non believers.  I can understand her heartache, but it saddens me that she can't accept us, fully, for who we are.

So far, everyone has been just as accepting to me being an atheist as well.  When I changed my religious status on facebook to atheist, I did have an uncle unfriend me.  That's okay tho, that's his choice.  I'm curious if it will come up at this year's reunion or not tho, he's just the type to confront me on it.  I have been open about it at work and that's been okay too.  We'll see what happens once this blog is read.

I found a former coworker and his wife have left the church and I have a close friend that was having doubts of her own and I told her my thoughts on everything and that it's okay to question and search for answers.  She has recently expressed that she now wants to leave the church.We have all found two support/social groups that are awesome in helping with this process and to give us back a sense of community, Atheists of Utah and Postmos.

Our neighbor has been very kind and expressed that he will be there for us if we need anything at all.  The bishop expressed the same.

Being an atheist has not changed who I am at my core.  I am still who I have always been, a nerdy, geeky weirdo that has trouble socially with dorkish tendancies, but now I have answers and simply view the world and life differently.  I still strive to be a good person, religion does not own that, and to try and be the best me I can be.  I do not need faith and religion to know what's right and wrong and to be a decent human being, my mother and grandmother instilled that in me and taught me how to be a good person.  I have found balance, and calm in my life and have a better sense of belonging and community and acceptance than I have ever had.  I am happier and more centered and think I am a better me overall.  I still live by the one rule I let define me, because I think all of humanity should live by it.  Do unto others as you would have done to you.  If this was lived by, by all, all else will and would fall into place and I strongly feel this world would be a better place.

I am happy, and I am proud of my life so far, and I have the greatest best friend and husband I could have ever hoped for, and I am so happy we were able to find each other in this crazy, mixed up world we all live in.