Yesterday when I was walking to my car, a girl approached me and told me she was from a local Christian church; she asked me if I had a moment to talk about my religious beliefs. When I told her that I'm atheist, she gave a mortified look and said, "Oh no! What happened to you?" ...as if atheism can only arise from some great atrocity. I responded "I educated myself," and walked away.
On that note, out of curiosity, what influenced you guys to become atheist? Did you come from religious backgrounds and later convert? If so, why?
My folks are somewhat religious, but my dad hated church and my mom didn't feel like going ever. they got more religious when I came out as an atheist to them. I went through a crisis of faith when I was younger but had virtually come to terms with being an atheist by 17, been a few years since then..I guess I never truly believed, I just needed to admit it to myself
I studied with the bible myself. Every. Single. Verse.
Quote from: i_like_neurons on March 05, 2015, 11:59:12 PMOn that note, out of curiosity, what influenced you guys to become atheist?
Deist arguments against Christianity in particular and a personal god in general that made a little too much sense. Later on, exposure to atheist arguments against theism. Found the standard Christian apologetics risable.
1. Growing up in a non-religious household, hanging around with non-religious friends, and attending non-religious schools.
2. When we visited my grandparents, they would pray before meals, have "devotions" and take us to church, and I concluded pretty quickly that it was all totally pointless (not to mention boring and a waste of time).
3. Getting connected to the Internet: reading atheist websites and finding the alt.atheism newsgroup. This touched off my decision to call myself an "atheist" rather than an "agnostic".
The girl your talking about must have been taught that atheism is a disease of some kind, I'd love to get that reaction from the old farts who sell the watchtower magazines at my door.
As for me, it was a general and natural progression, my family was never religious, even my drunk father. I learned even my grandfather was someone who applied reason and logic instead of believing in the bible. Though I was taught about religion in school, and in the past sometimes prayed to God when things got rough, I learned there was never an answer given to any prayers.
The big turning from questioning and haphazardly believing to now straight up atheist came over years of reading and watching Christian oppression against gay people, how whenever there were anti gay laws or actions taken, Christianity was always at the front of it, it all the Bullshit of God and Jesus loving you but hating gay people, that's when I delved into all the inconsistencies in the bible, and realized how fucked up not just Christianity, but all religions were.
Now when I read stories of gay people becoming Christian or Muslim, it often overwhelms me with regret. I've even questioned people I know, how can they follow such a belief system that uses whatever means it can to persecute what you naturally are.
Anyway, yeah, this is also why I've managed to see what an absolute moron my aunt is, who is a religious ass kisser and evolution denier
I was a believer but unbound myself and became an atheist after 4 grueling years of self-doubt and fear of Hell-fire from 13 to 17 years old. It started with a re-reading of the two sets of The Ten Commandments, but not until my 5th read-through of the Bible. It wasn't that there are two versions of The Ten Commandments in itself that made me atheist, but it was what got the ball rolling.
Quote from: i_like_neurons on March 05, 2015, 11:59:12 PMOn that note, out of curiosity, what influenced you guys to become atheist?
I've basically always been one. For as long as I've been old enough to figure out what I really believe, those beliefs have not included a god. The reason is because of critical thinking skills taught to me by my dad throughout my childhood. The most my mother ever did to try and make me Christian was to take me to church and teach me to pray. Church just bored me to tears, and the praying lessons never stuck.
I think the biggest factor was when I was 8. My dad would still read to me before bed, and for shits and giggles I asked him to read the Bible. Even at the age of 8 it sounded stupid.
Ever since I was 6 years old I have been an atheist because everything about a God or gods is so silly. Come on, talking burning bushes, talking serpents and donkeys, along with a woman made from a man's rib, by a God that has the power to create the universe and talks to other gods. Anyone that believes these stories past 12 years old is an idiot, or brain washed at an early age. In fact, we are all atheist before we are taught about gods, goddesses, and God----isn't this obvious that they are man made fairy tales to scare children to behave like all fairy tales are? Solitary
Quote from: i_like_neurons on March 05, 2015, 11:59:12 PM
Yesterday when I was walking to my car, a girl approached me and told me she was from a local Christian church; she asked me if I had a moment to talk about my religious beliefs. When I told her that I'm atheist, she gave a mortified look and said, "Oh no! What happened to you?" ...as if atheism can only arise from some great atrocity. I responded "I educated myself," and walked away.
On that note, out of curiosity, what influenced you guys to become atheist? Did you come from religious backgrounds and later convert? If so, why?
That is typical evolutionary tribalism. Humans are pattern seekers, and can center their group think around a completely false idea. Much like the ancient Egyptians falsely believed in their polytheism for 3,000 years. You don't fit into the majority social norms in her eyes so you are a threat to what she believes. Her reaction, while merely words, is still the same reaction that will cause nuts in the east to arrest and or murder apostates.
It is still her baggage and not yours. Many of us here have gone through similar things. I have had a guy try to have me fired from a job because his son saw the word "atheist" on my vehicle. Had another guy yell at me "WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE, WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE" upon seeing the same bumper sticker at a laundromat.
Others in the world have it worse. Muslims in the east will kill other Muslims for being the wrong sect, as well as wanting to go after Jews, Christians, atheists and gays.
The only difference between the west and the east is 200 years of a secular leash on religion in the west.
It basically amounts to humans in general don't like having their social norms challenged. If our species never questioned social norms our species never would have left the caves.
Quote from: i_like_neurons on March 05, 2015, 11:59:12 PM
Yesterday when I was walking to my car, a girl approached me and told me she was from a local Christian church; she asked me if I had a moment to talk about my religious beliefs. When I told her that I'm atheist, she gave a mortified look and said, "Oh no! What happened to you?" ...as if atheism can only arise from some great atrocity. I responded "I educated myself," and walked away.
On that note, out of curiosity, what influenced you guys to become atheist? Did you come from religious backgrounds and later convert? If so, why?
You should have told her you prayed that you could become a heathen and your prayers were answered and by golly with god all things are possible. Now I'm praying for you to become an atheist too!
Quote from: i_like_neurons on March 05, 2015, 11:59:12 PM
On that note, out of curiosity, what influenced you guys to become atheist? Did you come from religious backgrounds and later convert? If so, why?
I was really curious, asked questions about Christianity while I was a devout Christian that I never got a decent answer for. My brother became an atheist and a follower of Ancient Aliens, which got me to think more about Christianity and eventually reject it. I still believed in god, but didn't know which god to believe in. I kept getting more educated in science, history, philosophy, etc. and ended up watching some debates (Hitchens, Dawkins, Krauss, etc.). I eventually became an atheist when theistic arguments kept getting more and more ridiculous.
Quote from: i_like_neurons on March 05, 2015, 11:59:12 PM
Yesterday when I was walking to my car, a girl approached me and told me she was from a local Christian church; she asked me if I had a moment to talk about my religious beliefs. When I told her that I'm atheist, she gave a mortified look and said, "Oh no! What happened to you?" ...as if atheism can only arise from some great atrocity. I responded "I educated myself," and walked away.
I told a young lady I was an atheist and she said, after a moment's pause, "Well, it happens. People get abused..."
She didn't ask if I was ever religious, she didn't ask if I was ever abused. She made assumptions based on her own bias. The sad thing is this lady works for a science education entity.
I realized at some point that my beliefs were equally unproven as those that I ridiculed and writ off for being unproven, such as telepathy or the ability to see the future and whatever. Being a stubborn guy, however, I wouldn't just admit I'd been wrong for so long. So I started reading more about the subject, trying to prove I was right. But any discussion i heard or followed just made me doubt christianity more. Eventualy I started reading the bible, trying to get to the foundation and also to be able to call myself a self-respecting christian. After all, I was 18 or so, had called myself a christian for most of my life and hadn't even read the bible... what was up with that? I didn't get past the third or fourth book before I got rid of it out of disgust.
Mine was more of the typical response most xians would have in a retort. "Oh, so you hate God". That is pretty much how it started. A friend of mine whose family was very religious, and a very nice family as well sister had a child that was mongloid. The girl was crying in the hall and I asked her what was wrong and she said, "my niece was born retarded....why us? We didn't do anything wrong"? That really stuck with me because if any family should have gotten gods grace it would be these folks. So that set me back a touch. And then two years later I asked a junior to the prom, ( I was a sophomore) and she was damn cute, one day before the prom, she got sick, went to the hospital and died 12 hours later of spinal meningitis. That pissed me off because she was also a good little church girl as well as her family being active and a great family as well. So I took stock of it, what the fuck good is this god if all that prayer is useless?
After that I got serious about religion and started to study it more and after reading the babble a couple times and taking notes decided that, "this is the biggest fucking fraud ever perpetuated on the human race".
Quote from: Mr.Obvious on March 06, 2015, 12:32:47 PM
I realized at some point that my beliefs were equally unproven as those that I ridiculed and writ off for being unproven, such as telepathy or the ability to see the future and whatever.
Yes, I remember going through something very similar. Like all other Christians I was certain of the falsehoods of silly fantasy like Hinduism, aliens, and palm reading. It wasn't that I didn't believe in those things for lack of proof. I had certainty they were false, and I didn't even need proof because I classified them as all belonging in the realm of the absurd. Then one day, I had what seemed like a very reasonable thought. I realized that I didn't actually have proof that these things were false. I just didn't have any proof that they were true. But for me, they remained in the realm of the absurd, because the chances of them being true were ridiculously improbable.
That was the key place in my development that began the inevitable drift to atheism. It was when I took an honest look at my Christianity through the same new found skepticism that I realized I had no proof that Christianity was true either.
Apparently, it doesn't work that way for everyone. Christians and Hindus put their "ridiculously improbables" in the realm of the absurd, but they don't apply whatever litmus they used to do that to their own faiths, which get a pass. They are perfectly able to reject one ridiculously improbable, but not another.
Long story short, I decided that if I really had faith in God then I shouldn't fear an honest and rational inquiry into my beliefs. After all, if Christianity is true than the evidence should lead me straight to it. Of course that's not what happened.
I haven't received many condescending remarks like the OP, since I usually keep my atheism private around family. But when I first came out to my parents they seemingly brushed it off as if it were just a phase, and one ex of mine (a Muslim) told me she hoped I would "find religion one day".
At age 39 as a Mormon Elder I happened upon the book "No Man Knows My History" by Fawn Brodie, which is the account of Jospeh Smith's life, and does anything but make him a godly man. I mentioned it to my Elder's Quorum president who literally held his hands in front of his face and said "that will damage your testimony!" After he left, my logical brain posed the question; if discovered truthful information can damage your testimony, what good is your testimony? So for awhile I was inactive.
At age 40 my brother died in the LDS hospital in Salt Lake City. He was the father figure in my life. At only age 43, he died in a way that just seemed wrong in every way. He was a High Priest in the LDS church, and the most godly of men. I made him a deathbed promise I would seek out the truth- if Mormonism was true, I would be the best Mormon I could be- if not, I would leave the church. 2 years later at age 42 I was excommunicated prior to resigning, because they didn't want to admit anyone would find fault in the church.
I became a Christian because that was the only support group available, and to give my wife and family a religious structure in their lives. I remained one for 17 years, but all the time saw that it was just as hypocritical and laden with lies as Mormonism was. So at age 59, my wife and I essentially declared ourselves as atheists. My children by then were all grown and on their own became atheists before I did.
There were many other factors involved, but that is the gist of it.
What happened to me? When I was 19, I discovered logic and reason, thus I am an athiest.
In my first or second year of HS, some news report came on TV about scientology... something about Tom Cruise was mentioned and how crazy he's gotten... something else about people refusing people much needed psychological meds.... and in P.E. class while we were stretching, I mentioned to the friend at the time how crazy scientology sounds (I've since learned it is even crazier than the news cast mentioned...), and I also remember saying "Scientology isn't even a real religion like being Jewish or Christian" and he said to me "What makes Christianity or Judaism more of a real religion than Scientology?"
It kind of snowballed from there. Without really intentionally "searching for atheism" (partially because I didn't even know it was possible to not believe in anything like I do and most of us do on here), just from learning more about science and the world around me, I slowly realized that identifying as a christian didn't make sense.... I didn't even read the bible, so I didn't know what it said. I just went to Church most every sunday. Eventually in my second year of art school, I met someone that told me she picked different parts of pagan beliefs to believe... and I didn't understand how someone could just pick something to believe because it sounds "nice". That triggered my full head-on questioning of my faith. I borrowed a book of the occult from the library and looked up Satanism. Came across LaVeyan Satanism and realized they are just trollish nonbelievers.
Eventually I just said "Fuck it" because nothing made sense and actually reflected with reality.... But I always remember that question my friend asked me in High School as the triggering and nagging question that stuck in my head for the rest of my theistic stage of my life.
I went the long way around. I was raised Catholic, became a Neopagan in college, skidded sideways through a brief dalliance with Discordianism (by way of reading a pop science book on quantum mechanics--misguided, but important in that it opened my mind to the idea of a universe that Just Happened in which Things Just Happen) and then it finally sank in that the universe makes a LOT more sense when you view it as a self-explained whole than trying to make up ways to fit an outside force in whose existance cannot be demonstrated, and whose presence it doesn't require. I consider god to be nothing more than an early theory of how the universe works, made by ancient people trying to explain the world to themselves but lacking the scientific method. It has long since been demonstrated unnecessary (and is in any case not a provable theory), so I feel free to say definitely that there is no god in exactly the same way that I say there is no phlogiston, caloric, or luminiferous aether. It is a theory of reality that makes predictions about the way the universe works, that do not tally with the way the universe works.
That said, I consider myself on friendly terms with the Churches of the SubGenius, Flying Spaghetti Monster, and Invisible Pink Unicorn, of course. :)
I went to a YMCA-situated christian church as a little kid (with a babysitter). I was withdrawn by my mother, who felt like I was coming home with some weird ideas, but I don't know specifics). Then, somehow I found the Unitarian Universalists on my own (around 1985). I loved them, and I felt included. Around 1998, I realized my politics were shifting away from the UU norm, and was getting sickof what I now deemed a rather monolithic sociopolitical atmosphere. So I gave up on the UUs. It was only around 2006 that I really got to understanding the idea of nothingness...material vacuum, I guess. It was by accident, due to a conversation with my father at a Pizza Hut in Pennsylvania. He doesn't believe in god either, but is not one to embrace the culture of atheism. But somehow this conversation changed me, and I thereafter sought out message boards like this one and another similar one what has suddenly been taken offline.
Quote from: i_like_neurons on March 05, 2015, 11:59:12 PM
I responded "I educated myself," and walked away.
Nice hehe!
Being British, religion was never a big deal at home or in society. When I went to university I had the option of studying a fair amount of theology, which I did, because I've always wondered how much of Christianity is bullshit, and where the bullshit came from before it became Christianity. Very interesting. It amazes me how many people do not or will not question religion for fear their illusions will be shattered.
As a child, my family went to a Methodist church and looking back on it I guess it was very "religion lite." My father was an atheist and my mother was Christianish. When I asked my father why we had to go to church every Sunday he said it was the same reason we were members of the country club even though he didn't enjoy golf-- social expectation and occupational networking. Like my father, I did lots of things as a child I didn't want to do because it was socially expected: church, team sports, Boy Scouts, ROTC, going to dances with girls, etc. My first recollection of religion was reciting the bedtime prayer "Now I lay me down to sleep..." which I parroted until I was old enough to realize that I was talking about dying in my sleep and having my soul taken... creepy! My next religious epiphany happened in Sunday school when we learned the typical children's Bible stories. I think I was around seven when I read Noah's Ark I thought it was horrible. Killing all wicked people seemed bad enough, but the animals! Giraffes, rabbits and elephants can't be wicked so why did they have to die? And two of every creature can't possibly fit in one boat! The other stories that made me think all this was made up was Sampson (his hair gives him super strength? Stupidest super power ever), Abraham and Isaac (God tells parents to kill their children!) and Christ's resurrection (Christ let's himself be killed and brings himself back to life to save humans, that he designed as sinful, from sins, that he defined as sins, so a select group can worship him forever... what?). So my childhood experience with religion was that the Bible wasn't real and religion was just another social obligation that few people actually believed. People behaved very differently inside church compared to outside church so obviously everyone must be doing just as I was, going through the motions. It was like Santa, we pretended to believe and in return we got gifts.
I know it is naïve but wasn't until high school that I realized most of my peers actually believed the Bible, that they thought it was literally true. In English class I happened to mention that hell wasn't real, that the entire idea of Satan was ridiculous, and that life isn't a pass/fail test... I was completely blindsided by the response.
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5211/5475199813_0e800b313d_z.jpg)
People were really offended and a few were genuinely concerned there was something wrong with me. I was equally shaken that people who I considered reasonable and intelligent had clearly bought into this archaic dogma. My little bit of blasphemy actually followed me throughout high school and several people wrote in my senior year book "THERE IS A HELL" even though I had learned from that experience to keep my opinions regarding religion to myself. In college I took philosophy courses to determine what I actually believe and my belief system is still a work in progress, e.g. I'm currently reading Sense and Goodness Without God- A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism by Richard Carrier. I continue to find little of interest in Abrahamic religions and I'm still kind of mystified why so many people believe so strongly in something that makes zero sense to me, but I've also come to accept that is okay. I'm no longer under any social obligation to participate.
I was born an atheist. Was baptized as a teen, but it was like pouring water on a ducks back - didn't take! I've tried to believe at points in my life, but my mind could never follow my heart down that delusional road of belief.
I moved to Australia in my late 30's, here, I don't get much chance to discuss religion like I did back home in Washington state.
Quote from: i_like_neurons on March 05, 2015, 11:59:12 PM
On that note, out of curiosity, what influenced you guys to become atheist? Did you come from religious backgrounds and later convert? If so, why?
I read the Bible cover to cover and realized that it could not be the word of the God I'd been told I must worship. Then I read up on the philosophy of religion, and realized that the whole concept of God is simply too illogical to be believed.
In short: education.
Quote from: i_like_neurons on March 05, 2015, 11:59:12 PM
I responded "I educated myself," and walked away.
That was an excellent response. Probably the only way to make it better would've been to follow it with 'what happened to you?' but that might have been mean.
I love the chat I had with my mum the other day about when she meet my aunt for a coffee recently. While mum still loves her little sister, she really can't stand being around her that much anymore.
The conversation started off, for no reason other then what my aunt read in a paper about an article on evolution, and outright saying to my mum that it's all bullshit and made up. This pissed mum off, because it now feels like her little sister is flat out insulting her intelligence, so she told my aunt the facts about evolution , the evidence, the research, the findings, none of it registered with my aunt who kept on dismissing mums words.
Mum felt so pissed off she's still fuming about it when I talked to her today, but resolved that from here on, if she sees her sister, and she starts her creationist tangent again, she's going to tell her "look, you think what I believe is bollocks, I think what you believe is bollocks, so we're going to have to leave it at that".
There are people in our lives we can't find common ground in, and religious belief is a breaking point for me when it comes to having any kind of bond with people. Mums accepted her sisters a bingbat new earth creationist if that's what she wants to believe, but she won't take shit from her insulting her intelligence and what she knows as fact about science and evolution.
Quote from: Munch on April 10, 2015, 05:10:27 AM
Mum felt so pissed off she's still fuming about it when I talked to her today, but resolved that from here on, if she sees her sister, and she starts her creationist tangent again, she's going to tell her "look, you think what I believe is bollocks, I think what you believe is bollocks, so we're going to have to leave it at that".
Sometimes that's all you can do.