How did you become an atheist?
90- David Bowman
- 165 posts
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I would be interested to hear personal stories from atheists or agnostics about how you came to be a non-believer.
A summary of my personal story:
I was born and raised as a fundamentalist Christian and considered myself to be one until about the age of twenty. My transition from Bible believing Christian to non-believer started when I began to question why I believed what I did and if those reasons were valid. I finally got the courage to challenge my preconceptions and I began to study other viewpoints which led me to conclude that I could no longer say with conviction that I believed in God or the book that was supposedly authored by him. I discovered that studying science and philosophy is much more interesting and fulfilling than reading an outdated bronze age book of myths written in a time when ignorance and fear were prevalent in the primitive culture of the time.
98- Marisa Wright
- 3246 posts
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I'm not sure I've ever made the decision one way or the other.
I can tell you my husband became an atheist after reading the Bible. He was also a fundamentalist Christian in his late teens. He decided it was his duty to read the Bible from start to finish - and by halfway through he realised it was full of contradictions and didn't reflect what he'd been told.There is no right answer to this, some people are just born that way, while some because of situations that affect changes in their circumstances and outlook on life. The chief archetec of the evolutionary theory Charles Darwin entered university to be a theologion, but while at college swithed to study natural history, biology among other scientific disciplines. He wasn't born or grew up that way, something happend that changed him. Some people became angry with God when trying circumstances such as the lost of a loved one affect them, they start to question if there is a loving God why good people had to suffer or die. Remember also, that the chief archetec of Atheism is Satan, he has always wanted to replace God and take the glory of creation for himself. He teaches men to justify a unique creation without an intellegent designer, a creator, Satans greatest trick yet. The thing we must remember is that time and chances happened to all of us, rain falls on the good and the bad also, no need to blame God, or dispute His existence when things go wrong.
Sorry, I am not yet become an atheist. lol.....
I am neither a follower nor an atheist.I love to be the way I am and no one can take away my freedom of thinking from me.Yet, my observation points towards the intelligent design of both the universe and human.
Like everyone, I was born that way.
Religion is indoctrinated upon the children of this world.
Organized religion relies on this. If it were illegal for children to be subjected to the 'teachings' of religious groups until they were of voting age, religion would be no more.
Getting into the minds of our youth before they have the ability to weigh the arguments themselves is morally dubious.
94- Misha
- 10900 posts
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I was born atheist
Misha wrote:
I was born atheist
Are you the first child in your city born as an atheist.
100- GeneralHowitzer
- 1101 posts
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I'm a theist hehehe not an atheist...
- 94
- Misha
- 10900 posts
- Joined: 2 years ago
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andromida wrote:
Misha wrote:
I was born atheist
Are you the first child in your city born as an atheist.
No, at that time in this country the vast majority of kids born were born atheists.
Misha wrote:
andromida wrote:
Misha wrote:
I was born atheist
Are you the first child in your city born as an atheist.
No, at that time in this country the vast majority of kids born were born atheists.
So lucky kids.I think after the break up of USSR the religious situation did not change much in your place.Is it so.
All people are born atheist. When they are old enough to understand the concept of theism, they usually encounter some form of it. Then they have to decide whether they believe in it or not.
- 94
- Misha
- 10900 posts
- Joined: 2 years ago
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andromida wrote:
Misha wrote:
andromida wrote:
Are you the first child in your city born as an atheist.No, at that time in this country the vast majority of kids born were born atheists.
So lucky kids.I think after the break up of USSR the religious situation did not change much in your place.Is it so.
Not sure we were so lucky.
Being indoctrinated with socialism/communism instead of Christianity/Islam/Judaism does not make much of a difference really. May be a bit easier to see the idiocy of it, but then looks like for some adults it is a bit harder 
- 94
- Misha
- 10900 posts
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Aya Katz wrote:
All people are born atheist. When they are old enough to understand the concept of theism, they usually encounter some form of it. Then they have to decide whether they believe in it or not.
LOL Aya, you know what I meant, don;t you?
93- jacobkuttyta
- 190 posts
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It's up to you whether you want to become a beliver or not
jacobkuttyta wrote:
It's up to you whether you want to become a beliver or not
Well, yes and no. It's true that a person could simply make the conscious decision to join an established religion for practical reasons. Fellowship with others, a support group and social acceptance are some of the motives that might prompt such a decision.
But the spontaneous, emotional experience of being a believer is not open to volitional control.
It may be up to you whether you get married or not. It is not up to you whether you fall in love.- 94
- Misha
- 10900 posts
- Joined: 2 years ago
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- Fans: 1888
Aya Katz wrote:
It may be up to you whether you get married or not. It is not up to you whether you fall in love.Oh, I'm in love with every other woman around. It is definitely not up to me!
- 90
- David Bowman
- 165 posts
- Joined: 13 months ago
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Marisa Wright wrote:
I'm not sure I've ever made the decision one way or the other.
I can tell you my husband became an atheist after reading the Bible. He was also a fundamentalist Christian in his late teens. He decided it was his duty to read the Bible from start to finish - and by halfway through he realised it was full of contradictions and didn't reflect what he'd been told.That's interesting. You know, there is a quote by Isaac Asimov, the famous author and biochemist, where he stated "Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived."
- 90
- David Bowman
- 165 posts
- Joined: 13 months ago
- Hubs: 14
- Fans: 54
Kenny MG wrote:
There is no right answer to this, some people are just born that way, while some because of situations that affect changes in their circumstances and outlook on life. The chief archetec of the evolutionary theory Charles Darwin entered university to be a theologion, but while at college swithed to study natural history, biology among other scientific disciplines. He wasn't born or grew up that way, something happend that changed him. Some people became angry with God when trying circumstances such as the lost of a loved one affect them, they start to question if there is a loving God why good people had to suffer or die. Remember also, that the chief archetec of Atheism is Satan, he has always wanted to replace God and take the glory of creation for himself. He teaches men to justify a unique creation without an intellegent designer, a creator, Satans greatest trick yet. The thing we must remember is that time and chances happened to all of us, rain falls on the good and the bad also, no need to blame God, or dispute His existence when things go wrong.
One of the most common accusations made against atheists is that they are mad at God because they suffered some misfortune in their lives. This wouldn't make them atheists, this would make them angry theists. An atheist is someone who doubts the existence of a god. You can't be mad at something that you don't believe exists. I can't speak for all atheists, but I know in my case the reasons I doubt the existence of a god are purely intellectual in nature and not at all emotional. My life, for the most part, has been good. I have no reason to be bitter.
You dismiss all of the thousands of gods men have invented throughout history. I don't imagine you are angry at Zeus or Thor. You just don't believe they exist, and for good reason. I just take it one god further than you, that's all. - 90
- David Bowman
- 165 posts
- Joined: 13 months ago
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mcbean wrote:
Like everyone, I was born that way.
Religion is indoctrinated upon the children of this world.
Organized religion relies on this. If it were illegal for children to be subjected to the 'teachings' of religious groups until they were of voting age, religion would be no more.
Getting into the minds of our youth before they have the ability to weigh the arguments themselves is morally dubious.I agree. Taking young impressionable minds and filling them with religious notions before they are able to think critically is nothing less than brainwashing. There was a Jesuit motto attributed to Francis Xavier, the co-founder of the Jesuit order, that states "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man."
