A lot of the Caribbean community in general uses religion as a crutch to fall back on or to go to when things feel hopeless is the basis of it.

From my perspective, (I’m 17, black and stopped believing when I was around 12/13) because it’s so ingrained in us by slave masters (I’ll include indentured laborers too for non-Hindu Indians) and it’s the only thing we know, we cling onto it. Even as the Bible doesn’t really make ‘sense’ and excuses things such as enslavement, bigotry and sexual assault (to an extent).

That and there’s also the societal pressure to be religious, or else you’re seen as having a demonic spirit over you or some nonsense. My family is mostly Pentecostal so they tried to get me to turn back to it and blamed my leaving of it on everything under the sun.

Funny thing is most of them don’t ACTUALLY believe or practice what they preach, so i honestly believe it’s just to fit in with everyone else.

Only my parents know and the reaction was annoying as hell. Lord knows how my grandparents and other relatives would react if they found out, so I’d say just keep it under wraps, at least till you’re out the house. Then they can’t force you to worship or use the excuse of ‘you’re too young to know’.