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For me I was a doubter from as early as I can remember. I can remember my mother telling me the whole story of creation and I would ask "who made God" She would say we don't ask that. It never made any sense to me.
It troubled her but my parents were not hardcore despite living in Texas. By the time I was 10 they had given up on me ever being a Christian.
Yes! I went to Catholic School for 8 years
I used to get into so much trouble because I asked questions. None of it really made sense to me.
Growing up I trusted my parents with everything they said. As I matured I begin to slowly question the things the taught me. Some things they taught me I still believe and others I don't. The last couple years before I identified as an atheist I thought that going to church made you a good person whether or not you actually believe in the bible/god. I guess it just took me actually me taking a critical look at god and religion. Once I did that I just accepted that there probably wasn't a god, being Christian doesn't make you a better person, and being an atheist doesn't make you a bad person.
I didn't "want" to become an atheist, I just did. Once I started questioning my faith, the only other option was to lie to myself and pretend to believe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by peppermint
I answered this question in a previous thread. Here is my answer, if anyone genuinely cares: Why I left.
I suspect that, each of us, in our own way, came to believe that not a single one of the so-called gods are real. Or.....paraphrasing, "when I was a child, I spake as a child, and believed as a child, but, when I became an adult, I gave up the childish things." I don't play cowboys and indians anymore either.
Interesting so why don't you guys want to believe in anything?
Anything? Where'd you get that silly, nonsensical idea? We just don't believe in ancient, mythical cloud-dwelling but easily disproved Gods, any of them. Well, except the Flying Spaghetti Monster (His Noodliness, the FSM!) of course. He shows up in all His Saucy Glory whenever I tuck into a plate of seafood Fettucini Alfredo!
It's heavenly!
And there it is, right in front of me. But your God? Where is He? (And don't play coy and say "Why, all around us! Just look at all that beauty! It's surely God!" Well... nope; that beauty all evolved, it wasn't Created.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pmk422
Growing up I trusted my parents with everything they said. As I matured I begin to slowly question the things the taught me. Some things they taught me I still believe and others I don't. The last couple years before I identified as an atheist I thought that going to church made you a good person whether or not you actually believe in the bible/god. I guess it just took me actually me taking a critical look at god and religion. Once I did that I just accepted that there probably wasn't a god, being Christian doesn't make you a better person, and being an atheist doesn't make you a bad person.
Very nicely put, pmk. Just as it happened with my life as a late teenager and into my early twenties. I started asking simple questions, but in return I got confusing, arrogant or sternly worded answers ("Don't be asking such silly questions. God just IS! young man!" said my overtly hostile minister after I'd pestered him for a few weeks.
But Christians won't ever let go of the Bad Atheist characterization, demonizing us since they have been taught to think and state that idea by psychological manipulation, deceit and the utter arrogance of the Church.
Interesting so why don't you guys want to believe in anything?
We just believe in one less deity than you.
It's not a matter of 'want'. What sort of basis is desire for deciding whether or not X is true? Do you assess the validity of atomic theory, the utility of antibiotics, or whether or not a ponzi scheme is a good investment based on desire? I don't.
Belief is a matter of the preponderance of the evidence. Tyrannosaurs, the Library at Alexandria, and George Washington? There is abundant and compelling evidence those things existed. Electrons, an iron/nickel core of the Earth, and the Oort Cloud? There lots of compelling evidence that those things exist.
Oh boy; wait'll you get to the end of life's terrifying tunnel, eh?
But better yet, Voyageur, there's compelling evidence, at least to me, that the God of ancient Judea-Chrisitan thinking does NOT exist, since everything He's credited with has turned out to be completely due to other far more rational explanations, forces and consequences.
But it's that apparently uncontrollable (and well-fed...) fear of death thing.
The entirety of Christianity is implicated in this ongoing charade of fear! They should be ashamed!
And so, suffer not the little children to come unto me, where I can terrify them into a lifelong sense of total submission & obedience (oh, and also lifelong tithing, let's NEVER forget that key element of Christianity...).
I do feel lucky to have escaped that rat's nest of tyranny, to be sure.
Growing up I trusted my parents with everything they said. As I matured I begin to slowly question the things the taught me. Some things they taught me I still believe and others I don't. The last couple years before I identified as an atheist I thought that going to church made you a good person whether or not you actually believe in the bible/god. I guess it just took me actually me taking a critical look at god and religion. Once I did that I just accepted that there probably wasn't a god, being Christian doesn't make you a better person, and being an atheist doesn't make you a bad person.
Ya know, sometimes, in my more cynical moments, I really don't believe the churches are at all concerned with my soul, it is the tithe, they do not want to lose.
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Oh boy; wait'll you get to the end of life's terrifying tunnel, eh?
