UC Riverside

This study aims to identify the possible reasons for a hidden apostasy by religious professionals (either currently or formerly employed). It is based on interviews and surveys with clergy from over twenty different countries who no longer believe in the supernatural. For this type of people, The Clergy Project (TCP) was launched in 2011. It provides peer support to current and former religious leaders who no longer have faith. The study is also based on the analysis of hundreds of profiles of TCP participants. Among them are those who prefer not to come out (as unbelievers) for various reasons. One such reason is explored in this paper. The study hypothesis is that in some cases the reluctance to come out as a nonbeliever depends to a great extent, if not exclusively, on the reluctance to offend one's parents or parents-in-law.