Hello, id like to start by saying that my father and i have a distant relationship for most my life, he was very distant and as soon as I turned eighteen, he became more so with him only calling really if he needed free help with something now to start my story.
We were driving to the family reunion, I was about 23 when he said this, So it kind of took me aback he is, a liberal mormon preacher on sundays and has tried since I was about 10 years old to get me involved with the church each and every time I said no giving various excuses, I only recently told him I am an atheist.
He said that if I were to start a family, would I be open to him taking my future children to church so that at least be exposed to that side of the family' various traditions. I said, no, strictly speaking, I did not want my future children exposed to religion until they were mentally capable of making the decision for themselves on what they wanted to be.
To say he lost it would be an understatement he cried saying that I was cutting my children off from something that could genuinely help them if they were in dark place, i said the church never helped me when i was exactly that. In fact, it gave me a bit of religious trauma and self blame, and I did not want to expose my children to that until they were mentally capable of making that decision for themselves.
We did not speak for the rest of the day and have not spoken since so I turned to you Reddit, am I the asshole, thank you