Atheist - what is your religious background, if any. (Jesus, morals)

[logician]

Before becoming an atheist, I spent many years going to various protestant churches, mainly because it was family tradition. I figure I spent more time in church growing up than many people do in a lifetime. I finally decided that after careful examination that I didn't believe what was being sermonized to me, and decided to opt out of religion.

I haven't regreted the decision.

[standing_alone]

I was brought up as a WELS Lutheran and was, at one time, what I would consider quite religious. It provided me comfort, I suppose (though I eventually realized any comfort that the religion gave me was false), but it also caused me alot of anguish (more so than comfort). I began to question things in the Bible as I got older (and I was brought up in a church that stressed that the Bible is to be taken literally). Creationism made no sense to me, since there was no scientific support for it, and Noah's ark, well, I found that story to be absurd (from a literalist interpretation, which was forced on me since childhood). As I actually took time to read the Bible, I didn't like the violence committed by God and disagreed with certain morals in the Bible. Through learning more about science and critical thinking, I came to the conclusion that God doesn't exist. I've been happier ever since.

[Kungfuzed]

I attended methodist, pentacostle, protestant, and baptist churches when I was young. At 14 I joined the LDS church. Graduated from Ricks College (now known as BYU Idaho) in '92. Was a missionary in Alberta Canada from '93 to '95. Stayed active in the church until about '98 or so. Got married in '99. Divorced in '02. Got myself excommunicated in 2004. Had my moment of clarity and officially became an Atheist in 2005. Started browsing the RF. Married to my second wife January 2006. Joined the RF a few months ago and now here I am, at least that's how I remember it.

[robtex]

methodists. My father was somewhat religious my mom was an apathetic theist meaning she believed in a personal God but didnt' care. Methodists are really civil by a huge margin compared to other branches of Chrsitianty so I didn't get the turn off some of yall got growing-up.

Originally Posted by standing_alone

. As I actually took time to read the Bible, I didn't like the violence committed by God and disagreed with certain morals in the Bible. Through learning more about science and critical thinking, I came to the conclusion that God doesn't exist. I've been happier ever since.

that happened to me in college too. I read the kjv and was extremly disturbed by it. It conflicted with my pacifist ideals and in 88 I was no longer christian.

My brother became and atheist in college studying science and my father after my college became a jehovah's witness by marriage. He has become very religious since. I liked it when he was a methodist much better. Not my call I guess.

In 2000 I looked at religion more seriously because of two visiting mormons. I still have the mormon bible they gave me today. I became a UU shortly thereafter because I liked the way they explored religion objectivly (as opposed to dogmatically) and how socially conscious they are. I can still be a UU as an atheist because belief in a God is not a requirement for membership or afflication. The UU's on RF are good represenatives of the faith at large.

I was converted to atheism here on RF on Jan 10th 2005
My Resignation

[robtex]

Originally Posted by Kungfuzed

. Got myself excommunicated in 2004. Had my moment of clarity and officially became an Atheist in 2005. Started browsing the RF. Married to my second wife January 2006. Joined the RF a few months ago and now here I am, at least that's how I remember it.

what did you do to get excommunicated? congrats on your 2nd marriage. How long did you browse RF before posting?

[Majikthise]

Originally Posted by wanderer085

Before becoming an atheist, I spent many years going to various protestant churches, mainly because it was family tradition. I figure I spent more time in church growing up than many people do in a lifetime. I finally decided that after careful examination that I didn't believe what was being sermonized to me, and decided to opt out of religion.

I haven't regreted the decision.

We only went to one church, but otherwise , me too.

[Ryan2065]

12 years of Catholic school for me... I became an atheist at year 11 (Junior year high school) because of some discussions we were having in class. Basically the story that broke the camels back was the story of Jesus and the fig tree... Where Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit when it was not time for the fig tree to bear fruit and then the fig tree withers up and dies. After that story I was done.

[Revasser]

I was brought up without religion (my mum dabbled in various kinds of pseudo-Eastern New Agery for a while, but my parents split when I was very young and I didn't live with her or see her all that much.) My dad is probably some variety of agnostic or even an atheist himself. I used to think he was just your average apathetic agnostic who didn't really care, but in the last couple of years that I've shown interest in discussing religion with him, he seems fairly hostile to "organised religion." Maybe he was just keeping a lid on it while I was growing up so I could decide for myself.

So I was, I guess, a "social theist" growing up (it's hard for a kid not to get some ideas about God when society and especially public school is saturated with it), but when I was old enough to start understanding some of the basic concepts, I became a more solidified atheist. Then, of course, just recently I tried broadening my horizons a bit to try to fill a gap I felt was there and "tried on" religion (monotheism still made me rather sickly, so I tried "hard" polytheism). It was interesting, informative and very different from the mode of thinking I was used to but... ultimately it simply felt like wishful thinking and an elaborate game of make-believe. I felt a little silly, to be perfectly honest.

So now I'm back to atheism and naturalism.

[GeneCosta]

My family has always been a diverse bunch of people. I'm actually proud about that fact. It makes a good topic of discussion when your family is white, Native American, black, and differs all across the board on religious identity.

The only times I can distinctly remember going to church (with family) were when I went to visit my cousins in Florida and when my great-grandmother took me before she died.

List:
My step-dad is a Roman Catholic
My great-grandmother was a Roman Catholic
My mom is a deist
My dad is Non-Denominational/Leaning agnostic
My brother and sister are being raised as Non-Denominational Christians
My grandmother is... strange. Some days she claims to be an atheist, other times she's Christian. Once during a sitting she told me she thinks she's Muslim and Buddhist.
My uncle and aunt are atheist.
My cousin is Buddhist.

I went through a gradual process of denouncing faith. Soon after I stopped calling myself a Catholic, I became an agnostic. Soon after I became an agnostic, I became an atheist. I lost my faith about the same time I became a history and science fanatic. Simply put: I just couldn't come to believe in god. I hunger for a plate of evidence.