Why did YOU start to lose faith?

[The Skeletal Atheist]

I remember when I was around 6 asking my mom where God came from, and she told me that God was eternal and didn't have a beginning. That stuck me as odd for the moment, but I didn't dwell on it.

My doubts started when I was around 12, maybe a bit younger. I started to realize that I felt absolutely nothing in church. I didn't feel the heavenly joy that one is suppose to feel when praising God, I just felt like I was talking to empty air.

I also realized how similar Jesus/God was to Santa Claus. Both promised rewards for good behavior, punishment for bad, and you never saw either (at least Santa had the guys dressing up like him in malls thing). Any "evidence" for them was either hearsay or lies. Asking critical questions about them got non answers, or even reprimand.

After that it was the total ineffectiveness of prayer. I was fucking scared of my doubts; I didn't want to burn forever in hell (btw thank you makers of the children's bible for including that whole "wailing and gnashing of teeth" bit, you fucking assholes). I prayed often and earnestly. I prayed to God that he would fill my heart with his light and make me a good Christian. I prayed with tears in my eyes that he'd remove the doubt in my mind and that he would save me from myself. I still felt absolutely nothing: no voice from the sky, no relief of emotional burden, just me in an empty room begging to empty air.

I also started discovering my sexuality - puberty had taken hold of me. While I still had very little faith left I tried to suppress who I was. I'd watch straight porn, talk about how awesome boobs are, and other such things, but inside it was still killing me.

I'd say the my faith dwindled completely by the time I was 13 or 14. I came to terms with my sexuality at 16 (religious internal homophobia is hard to get rid of. I was never mean to other homosexuals, I just assured myself that I wasn't like them and vagina was awesome). I came out at 19.

Now I'm 2 days away from being 23 and I couldn't imagine myself being as happy as I am now with the shackles of religion upon me.

[darsenfeld]

For me:

- Socialisation, since the UK is a more rationalist culture (has been when it was more religious even)

- Critical thinking, since religion is distinct from God so we can't know what God is fully.

- No need, since morality exists for group regulation and empathy.  No Bible or Koran is needed for that.  I don't kill out of empathy, humanity, and well it's not good to make enemies.

[GSOgymrat]

I've never had faith. My neurology and personality don't lend themselves to religiosity.

[hrdlr110]

Many similar stories to mine, was exposed to it early, but not often (grandparents). Neither parent was religious, although dad became more so in his 60's, and noww god has blessed him with alzheimers to allow him to forget he ever believed.
For 6 years I played for a touring christian basketball team - we were paid $200 per game plus expenses, and expected to witness at halftime to the crowd. Never did that siting huge fear of public speaking. Coach bought it! The basketball experience is something I would have done for free. Playing ncaa div 1 opponents in spectacular facilities in front of about 5 thousand was so much fun. Coach was an avid true believer, nice guy, great parent to 7 kids and I faked it to play basketball! No regrets except the acl tear that ended it. I moved to australia 13 years ago, and suspect there are many back home that still think I believe, but I never did, even as a child I couldn't muster an ounce of belief.

[Moriarty]

When I didn't get what I wanted for X-mas.......oh wait, you don't mean Santa, do you?

[Riot401]

I started to watch James Randi debunking videos :D  =D>   [-(

[HomophobicAtheist]

My parents were atheists so I never was exposed to religion. When I was in my teens I read the bible from front to back and that was enough for me.

[St Giordano Bruno]

Once being a Christian pretty much speaks for itself, how can I possibly believe in a great almighty God who created the entire universe of unfathomable scale take time out to be so small minded as to plant his sperm into a certain Middle Eastern female primate on some insignificant little planet in one of the billions of galaxies he created? It just does not make sense quite frankly.

[Passion of Christ]

My parents were atheists so I never was exposed to religion. When I was in my teens I read the bible from front to back and that was enough for me.

If you read the Bible from the point of not believing in God then you won't believe in God by the time you finish reading you're just begging the question. The Bible wasn't written for atheists/non-believers it was written for people who believe in God.

[Moriarty]

My parents were atheists so I never was exposed to religion. When I was in my teens I read the bible from front to back and that was enough for me.

If you read the Bible from the point of not believing in God then you won't believe in God by the time you finish reading you're just begging the question. The Bible wasn't written for atheists/non-believers it was written for people who believe in God.

But isn't it important to know your enemy well? :P

[Passion of Christ]

But isn't it important to know your enemy well? :P

God isn't your enemy he's the reason why you exist.

[Moriarty]

My parents were atheists so I never was exposed to religion. When I was in my teens I read the bible from front to back and that was enough for me.

If you read the Bible from the point of not believing in God then you won't believe in God by the time you finish reading you're just begging the question. The Bible wasn't written for atheists/non-believers it was written for people who believe in God.

But isn't it important to know your enemy well? :P

Yea o.k. you totally convinced me and I will change my ways.......................

[Passion of Christ]

Yea o.k. you totally convinced me and I will change my ways.......................

You will have to convince yourself you can't rely on others to do it for you.

[Moriarty]

Yea o.k. you totally convinced me and I will change my ways.......................

You will have to convince yourself you can't rely on others to do it for you.

Thank God!? Hahahahaha

[SGOS]

But isn't it important to know your enemy well? :P

God isn't your enemy he's the reason why you exist.

God isn't the enemy to those who don't believe because he can't even be shown to exist.  

The enemy is any religion that wants to shove its imaginary god on everyone else.