I can’t speak to your specific situation, but it seems people generally over-estimate how ostracized they will be made if they defect from religious norms. My family was extremely religious and conservative when I came out as an atheist at 14. It was pretty shitty for a few weeks, but they got over it. Things went back to normal quickly. And this is from a religion that proscribed complete ostracism of any “apostates”, and several times a year would praise from the pulpit parents who threw their non-believing children out on the street. I have come to the conclusion that generally these are empty threats. The religion wants you to fear that they will cut off anyone who defects, but almost no parent can actually do that.
For a while I was married to a christian (I was young and stupid) and I reassured her that my puny human technologies certainly couldn’t thwart the will of an all-mighty god. If he wanted me in an afterlife I’d certainly find my way there. After this she agreed to support my suspension if I should die before her. A similar comment may reassure any religious family who thinks of it as a way to escape god’s plan.
I can’t speak to your specific situation, but it seems people generally over-estimate how ostracized they will be made if they defect from religious norms. My family was extremely religious and conservative when I came out as an atheist at 14. It was pretty shitty for a few weeks, but they got over it. Things went back to normal quickly. And this is from a religion that proscribed complete ostracism of any “apostates”, and several times a year would praise from the pulpit parents who threw their non-believing children out on the street. I have come to the conclusion that generally these are empty threats. The religion wants you to fear that they will cut off anyone who defects, but almost no parent can actually do that.
For a while I was married to a christian (I was young and stupid) and I reassured her that my puny human technologies certainly couldn’t thwart the will of an all-mighty god. If he wanted me in an afterlife I’d certainly find my way there. After this she agreed to support my suspension if I should die before her. A similar comment may reassure any religious family who thinks of it as a way to escape god’s plan.