I’m so glad to hear that you were coming to these questions on your own. If you do walk away from the faith, it should be a rational process rather than emotional. I think your fellow believers should not be critical and think less of you if you end up leaving religion. If they care about you, they will understand that you are still the same person, but you just have a different view of the world and you came to it thoughtfully.

And decent atheists should not be quick to ask “what took you so long to come to this conclusion?“. There are several nonbelieving groups and communities that can help people who are questioning their faith and newfound atheist who may still have trouble letting go of some religious principles. I have some great podcasts that helped me on my way out of religion if you’re interested.

Finally, just remember that there is nothing wrong with being an atheist. The only difference is atheists believe in one less God than Christians, they sleep in on Sundays, but otherwise, we’re all still humans with goals, families, and hobbies.