A Family Separated By Unbelief
When a God-fearing father came face-to-face with his unbelieving son, the differences between them were unavoidable.
“It’s not an easy time for any parent, this moment when the realization dawns that you’ve given birth to something that will never see things the way you do…”
— Richard Russo
I imagine this is what my father felt forced to realize three years ago when we spoke about my disbelief in the religion he raised me in. He never saw it coming. I don’t think anyone in my family anticipated such a dramatic shift. How could they? I went from preaching in pulpits about God’s salvation to speaking like a cynical skeptic. To me, my deconversion from Christianity and embrace of agnosticism was a silent process that spanned over five years. However, to the rest of my family, it was as if this renunciation of faith happened so abruptly.
While my mother and brother acknowledged this shift with sympathetic acceptance, my dad’s voice cracked in grief and confusion when he asked, “Why are you giving up on everything you built for yourself?"
He was right.
I had built up a reputation, a moral foundation, and professional connections within the social network of the church.
