The End is Always Nigh
How fundamentalism divides families
Submitted by “R”
I was born into a family of evangelical fundamentalist Christians who took an uncompromising and very literal interpretation of the bible. In hindsight, I’d describe their attitude as a strict adherence to the 11th Commandment — Thou shalt not think!
I am the only member of my extended family who does not believe and I’ve felt forced to keep this secret as the consequences would be horrific. I have tried many times to broach the subject with my family only to end in their hostility and inability to understand the points I am making. After bashing my head against a brick wall so many times I’ve accepted that I simply cannot get through to them. Calling myself an atheist may as well be an admission of Satanism in their eyes.
Their religious outlook governs every aspect of their lives and dictates how they see the world such that a normal casual conversation is impossible without every word passing through their religious cognitive filter first. They accuse me of being uncommunicative when in reality they are incapable of conducting a conversation without injecting their faith into it. Likewise, as I always know their opinion before I even ask them, there is no point in seeking their advice as I already know it.
