The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 40, No. 2 & Volume 41, No. 1 - 172

And the more I learn, the more that I feel that
having a religion isn't possible.
Many other students discussed continued
learning and truth seeking as a foundation for
their non-religious way of life.
Many members of the student secular group
shared that they often felt misunderstood by
others but recognized that knowledge serves
as both a mental and emotional arsenal against
those who may not give credence to their
beliefs. All participants placed grave importance
on learning, and many listed science classes in
high school as an experience that eased them
into a more rigorous quest for answers and an
understanding of the cognitive dissonance they
had experienced since early adolescence. Two
students relied on the library to provide factual
truths to questions their parents or preachers
could not or would not answer. Others cited a
predisposition to logic and an insatiable desire
"to know everything" as the solution to the disequilibrium between trusted biblical stories
and evidence found in school texts and pleasure reading materials. Cate, an atheist, best
summed up the desire for and importance of
knowledge: "We all believe we are smarter than
everyone else [laughs]. That is something you
will encounter with atheists, we all believe we
are smarter than everyone else, because we've
discovered the great truth-that there is none."

In some cases when students
came out, the reactions they
received from others were hurtful
and demeaning.

172

To Come Out or Not to Come Out
As expected, an unstaged part of the coming
out process includes the reactions that followed the students' profession of their beliefs.
The participants considered their decision to
come out carefully, and many seemed concerned about the possible reactions of friends
and family. Some chose not to inform those
whom they believed would respond negatively,
disapprove, or instigate drama. This concern
about others' reactions is common among
many non-religious students. Constantine, an
atheist, said,
I still like going to visit my old hometown. I
still like going to see people, and I don't know
how their reaction would be to it because
they've gotten more religious as time has
gone on. I don't want to say "scared," but I'm
kind of reluctant to let them ﬁnd out. They
wouldn't approve.
Katherine described her fear of her family's reaction to her atheism:
My grandfather would die if he found out
that I am not Catholic, because my mother's
side is extremely Catholic. My grand aunt was
almost a nun. So I cannot describe it with a
proper word. The dedication that my family
put in Catholic Church. . . . If I ever came to
my older generation family it would be like,
"Well, we don't understand you at all." It
would be very alienating.
In some cases when students came out,
the reactions they received from others were
hurtful and demeaning. Although they were
content with their decisions, there were still
potential feelings of shame instigated by the
perception that non-religious people were evil
or unreasonable. Anna, an atheist, said,

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 40, No. 2 & Volume 41, No. 1

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