How did you become an Atheist?

I grew up going to a Presbyterian church, but I stopped going to Sunday school early on and began attending the adult services. When I got to high school, I realized that I wanted to study the Bible and Christianity more so that I knew what I believed. I went to a Catholic high school and took theology.

I've always had an inquisitive mind, though I must say it's often been a gullible one. I loved studying the Gospels- it was then that I learned that they weren't the "word of God" but in fact were written by real people who contradicted each other and used a LOT of "artistic license" in their writing.

Then Junior year we studied Church history. This is when I began realizing that a lot of the stuff Christianity teaches doesn't make any sense-- with enough well-intentioned questioning I began to figure this out. I remember distinctly reading about the miracle of Our Lady of Guadaloupe, when Mary supposedly appeared on a tapestry that "has not decayed or deteriorated in over 200 years". I looked at the photograph of the tapestry in the book and was shocked. The old thing had clearly BOTH decayed AND deteriorated! I was taking European history that year as well, and the things I kept reading about wars between Protestants and Catholics, and Muslims- all that pointless violence... can grown-ups really be that DUMB?

Only now do I realize the importance of my 8th grade science teacher. He taught us the values of healthy skepticism and using proof to back up your case. Even though at the time, I still devoutly believed in Jesus, I found his class fascinating- we learned about tectonic plates, the galaxies, and some history of science (Gallileo, etc). He never just taught us things- he always taught us WHY those things were believed to be true, based on facts. I especially loved the videos we watched of Carl Sagan, and The Amazing Randy. Before that class, I would watch Alien Abductions on Fox and believe it. I'd watch Huantings on the History Channel and believe it. No more, however- I'm glad I had him as a teacher!

I can honestly say, though, that I NEVER once went through a dark funk where I believed life was pointless because my beleifs all turned out to be wrong. My "conversion to atheism" was a gradual process, one in which I was constantly striving to UNDERSTAND religion fully, not end up without it. That is where I've ended up, however- and I'm pleasantly surprised! 8)

How did you come to be atheist?

Age 12, I saw Hell for the obvious scare-tactic it was, then saw an episode of babylon 5 where it turned out Vorlons were angels and Shadows were demons. Then I thought it was far more likely angels/gods were just aliens so gave up on gods.

I then went through phases of testing magic to see if that worked, which it didn't, it merely employed self delusion like christianity did.

Then, being a teenager, i went through antitheistic swings for a few months, agnosticism, weak atheism, and currently scientific pantheism, coupled with strong atheism. I examined the universe and thought about how people work, and generally how it all fits together, I thought I was fairly original, then found out others had done it before me and it had a name.

Until I was around 16-17 I considered myself a Christian, one of the ones that didn't believe in Genesis etc, just thought of God as something that was real, but that few people understood - kind of like a wise old guru who knows how all the stories end and smiles knowingly and smugly as we try to figure it all out. From around 13-15 I actually prayed to God each night because I thought it would be weird to believe in God but ignore Him otherwise. It was only in my later teenage years that I realised that I had absolutely no reason whatsoever to believe in God - I was thoroughly opposed to many things that Christianity stood for, I hated the idea of submission to anything, the Bible made no sense, that morality and religion don't mix, and that I respected the atheist mentality far more than the religious one. Then I came to realise that noone actually seems to know what God is, and the little people do agree on is nothing to admire. Then I realised that people aren't really religious because they calmly and coolly judge that something is up there, but that they need something to be up there, and I don't want to be one of those people.
Truth or bust!

It's funny how much I can relate to what all you guys are saying...

Alright, here we go!

I was born into a very Irish-Catholic family-- no birth control, no marrying protestants, the freakin works I tell ya! Anywho, as you can imagine, it was pretty hard to break out of that mold, but luckily, god had blessed me with a highly inquisitive nature..uh...no...wait a minute here, lemme refrase that one, lol.

As a little girl, and even a not so little girl, I considered myself to be very devout. Still as a believer, I questioned everything. However, I thought that my questioning only brought me closer to god, as it helped me understand him on a whole new level. (I had no idea how right I was on that one!)

My dad decided to start having family bible study when i was about 14. I thought the idea was pretty retarded at the time, but I eventually came to like it-- I never have been able to pass up the chance for a good debate! And debate we did. My dad takes the bible completely literally, and many of our arguments stemmed from that, as I had always in school been taught that (at least certain parts) of the bible were not to be taken literally.

These bible studies really fulfilled their namesake, and a combination of my own deep biblical studies (revealing countless contradictions and nonsensical crap), and my father's hypocrisy (another story *rueful laugh*), brought my faith crashing down. I have considered myself a disbeliever since the summer of my 16th birthday, and its been nothing but uphill from there! I've learned so much from some of the most wonderful people, and I seriously cannot fathom how I was able to funtion before!! Oh, the freedom of truth!

Age 12, I saw Hell for the obvious scare-tactic it was, then saw an episode of babylon 5 where it turned out Vorlons were angels and Shadows were demons. Then I thought it was far more likely angels/gods were just aliens so gave up on gods.

I then went through phases of testing magic to see if that worked, which it didn't, it merely employed self delusion like christianity did.

Then, being a teenager, i went through antitheistic swings for a few months, agnosticism, weak atheism, and currently scientific pantheism, coupled with strong atheism. I examined the universe and thought about how people work, and generally how it all fits together, I thought I was fairly original, then found out others had done it before me and it had a name.

Until I was around 16-17 I considered myself a Christian, one of the ones that didn't believe in Genesis etc, just thought of God as something that was real, but that few people understood - kind of like a wise old guru who knows how all the stories end and smiles knowingly and smugly as we try to figure it all out. From around 13-15 I actually prayed to God each night because I thought it would be weird to believe in God but ignore Him otherwise. It was only in my later teenage years that I realised that I had absolutely no reason whatsoever to believe in God - I was thoroughly opposed to many things that Christianity stood for, I hated the idea of submission to anything, the Bible made no sense, that morality and religion don't mix, and that I respected the atheist mentality far more than the religious one. Then I came to realise that noone actually seems to know what God is, and the little people do agree on is nothing to admire. Then I realised that people aren't really religious because they calmly and coolly judge that something is up there, but that they need something to be up there, and I don't want to be one of those people.
Truth or bust!

It's funny how much I can relate to what all you guys are saying...

Alright, here we go!

I was born into a very Irish-Catholic family-- no birth control, no marrying protestants, the freakin works I tell ya! Anywho, as you can imagine, it was pretty hard to break out of that mold, but luckily, god had blessed me with a highly inquisitive nature..uh...no...wait a minute here, lemme refrase that one, lol.

As a little girl, and even a not so little girl, I considered myself to be very devout. Still as a believer, I questioned everything. However, I thought that my questioning only brought me closer to god, as it helped me understand him on a whole new level. (I had no idea how right I was on that one!)

My dad decided to start having family bible study when i was about 14. I thought the idea was pretty retarded at the time, but I eventually came to like it-- I never have been able to pass up the chance for a good debate! And debate we did. My dad takes the bible completely literally, and many of our arguments stemmed from that, as I had always in school been taught that (at least certain parts) of the bible were not to be taken literally.

These bible studies really fulfilled their namesake, and a combination of my own deep biblical studies (revealing countless contradictions and nonsensical crap), and my father's hypocrisy (another story *rueful laugh*), brought my faith crashing down. I have considered myself a disbeliever since the summer of my 16th birthday, and its been nothing but uphill from there! I've learned so much from some of the most wonderful people, and I seriously cannot fathom how I was able to funtion before!! Oh, the freedom of truth!

I know this thread is pretty old, but I just got here. So...

I grew up in a Jewish family. I was Bar Mitzvahed at 13 and I suppose I still believed in God at that time, though it's difficult to tell. When I was about 15, a close family friend, Michael, contracted ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. This man was a brilliant linguist, with a wife and two kids. I thought it was so ironic that a man so skillful with words would have to suffer with a disease that kept his brain fully functional, yet disabled his speech. It was around the time of his death that I rejected the idea of a God. I was told God was all-powerful and loving, yet this particular death didn't convey those qualities to me. I thought that if Gog did exist, he was pretty sadistic, killing off his creations with dabilitating diseases. That was about the end of it for me.

Right now I'm attending a private liberal arts university, which happens to be Lutheran affiliated. The school in general is pretty liberal, but the students can be pretty fanatical sometimes. I don't specifically try to make enemies, but I make damn sure that everyone knows I'm not a blind follower. Exciting times.

well my mum has always been relatively unreligious....my dad is a bit more religious....however...I have still always been bought up in a jewish-type upbringing...similar-ish to LeaderNotFollower...so I've always had the knack of rejecting more major religious beliefs (ie christianity)....but gradually. But I think ever since my barmitzvah I've become ever more unreligious....I suppose right now I am really Anti-religious...possibly I have been a bit more polarized....by some people I know...and some *looks at LeaderNotFollower's avatar* bands

Neither of my parents have ever been really religious. I honestly don't even know what religion they are. All I know is that my mom used to belong to some denomination of Christianity, but then decided that shee didn't want to be involved with it.

Anyway, I obviously wasn't raised religiously. Up untill I was abot 12 I think I was in the 'kinda-agnostic-or-something' category. It was during my first of three years of Catholic school that I became an atheist, which was both very useful in debate by supplying me knowledge of Christianity and very painful for supplying me knowledge of Christianity.

It was late at night and I couldn't sleep. I was staring at the ceiling and thinking, probably about the general state of the world. Yes, I was a very strange 12 year old. And then I had an epiphany of sorts. It was just like-- BAM! There isn't a god.

YawgmothsAvatar,

It was during my first of three years of Catholic school that I became an atheist

Click to expand...

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh I feel ya. Don't religious people see a pattern among us? That the more religion we are exposed to and the more we learn about it, the more atheistic we tended to become? Hmmmm...

I was never christened as both my parents were not christians. They stillhave no religion but do not consider themselves to be atheist. they simply do not have an opinion.
I was never taught anything about religion at home. i travelled a lot and went to a lot of primary schools. i wasnt clever and seemed to be bullied at every school for being the "newcomer". i therefore did not pay much attention in lessons. In high school i settled in manchester. I am now a regular pupil at a private school in oldham. It is here where i met some wonderful people who showed me that i was clever even though my exam grades were low. I could think for myself insted of memorise spoon fed facts and i found a whole new level of intelligence. I am now considered one of the most intelligent pupils in senior school by the pupils anyway. Teachers do not class me as intelligent because they oppose my thinking. This was when i began to question religion, in particular christianity. i believe it is just one of the factors banishing people to keep their minds closed to their own opinions. I became a fascist and white supremecist. I believe to preserve races we have to work together to return to our homelands. many religions consider this as rascist. however this is not their opinion, they cannot have opinions because the rules they live their lives by are not rules constructed by their knowledge and intelligence rather by books that have little scientific proof behind them. I then discovered atheism which i suppose could "label" me. Atheism is the first step on the road to freedom which is what i will devote my life to fighting for. some of you may find my views perhaps stupid as i am only 15 but to me my age is irrelevant. i feel older than that. I feel i am lucky to have discovered my own beliefs at an early age and can develop these in great detail throughout my life. I would like to hear your views on this

C
x

hmm white supremecist....what makes white people so supreme?

give me liberty or give m said:

Atheism is the first step on the road to freedom which is what i will devote my life to fighting for. some of you may find my views perhaps stupid as i am only 15 but to me my age is irrelevant. i feel older than that. I feel i am lucky to have discovered my own beliefs at an early age and can develop these in great detail throughout my life. I would like to hear your views on this

Click to expand...

Fascism is all about spoon-feeding people 'facts' aswell. Democracy, however, is about liberty, freedom of belief, embracing diversity etc. In a fascist society, you would be jailed for doing what you are doing now - thinking for yourself.

Ack, double post. Delete, please

An atheist, British, female white supremacist.....whoa! mg:

Ceridwen018 said:

YawgmothsAvatar,

It was during my first of three years of Catholic school that I became an atheist

Click to expand...

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh I feel ya. Don't religious people see a pattern among us? That the more religion we are exposed to and the more we learn about it, the more atheistic we tended to become? Hmmmm...

Click to expand...

I have also seen tha tendancy in other atheists. We should do a study.

Well lets see.

I grew up with my grandparents, my mother didnt have her life together enough to take care of me and my brother, so my grandparents took care of us. They took us to Baptist church, which mostly all we learned was to stay awake for a hour, and maybe make sure to take something to read while everyone is doing their church thing.

At about 10 years old my mother got remarried and moved to the country, where we went to a catholic church some. My parent really werent religious, so really I didnt have any incentive to want to be in a church at all.

In my teenage years, I went to a christian church. Me and my cousin were really into computers then. We played games alot, ran BBS sites, had basements full of computer stuff. His family was heavily christian, so the price I paid for staying there every weekend was to goto church with them on sunday. Now, of all the churches I went to, this was the best. I still wasnt religious then, it was only something I had to do so I could hang out. But a very nice church. Small, younger crowd, many of us did church activities on saturday like softball, sports, other outdoors stuff. Basically a bunch of younger people who were religious, but hadnt been turned into total nuts yet and liked to do young people stuff. I suffered the occasional group prayer LOL because they were some great people.

But really, experience turned me Athiest. After being in so many different churches, I realized none of them had any clue and were just following along. In some ways they were different, many ways the same. So I actually used my brain to figure out that religion is only a humans interpretation on certain parts of life, that there are as many religions as different ideas that humans have. And of course, in school and in real life learning that it seems the more "GOD" you have in your head and your life, the less you use your actual brain and common sense, and the more you follow your religious beliefs like sheep.

Me, I like thinking for myself, I like using my brain, and not having to say this or that only because some book says I should. As long as man exists, he will group himself into catagories to make himself feel safer/braver/superior. Be it race, class, religion, location, its a natural instinct of man to do it. Each race believes they are superior, each religion thinks their's is the right one, the north hates the south, east coast, west coast, just a part of being human. And I dont need "God" complicating a already complicated existance. Im beyond thinking that praying gets things done. Going out and actually doing it gets things done. Praying to cut the grass doesn't get it cut. Praying for wealth doesn't get it in your pocket.

So my suggestion. Use your brain and your heart, dont let someone else tell you what to do and how to think, be it a book or a political party or a religion.