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[Name removed]

[Ron Obvious]

1. I've always been an atheist...

I was brought up without any religion whatsoever and I never saw a good reason to change my views.

BTW, I think some people might quibble over definitions of agnostic and atheist, but I'd like to keep it simple: no belief in god(s) = atheist.

[OriginalGeek]

10. that's why I said what I did

agnostic is dealing with what you know. (not to be confused with the religious order of Gnostics. I think. Lol, maybe expressly to be confused with them).

theism/atheism is dealing with what you believe.

I don't know if there is a god but I have seen no evidence to support the claim so whether there is or not, I don't believe in one. I don't think any current human can know if there is a god. Maybe in the future we'll have better ghost detectors. Until then it is my position we are all born agnostic and atheist. I came back to atheism after figuring the whole religion thing to be a lie and once I decided that, there was no reason to believe in a god.

Most christians are atheists to some extent too. Very few (if any) believe in Odin or Vishnu or Zeus.

[OriginalGeek]

2. I feel everyone is an agnostic

Because nobody really knows. I am also an atheist because I do not believe there are any gods.


I suspect the biggest reason I am an atheist is because I was raised in a fundamentalist baptist home. Then again, so were my brothers and they still believe (although in different ways). I chalk that up to them being indoctrinated for a couple more years than I was - I got out as soon as I could. They were stuck there a few extra years. Secretly, I also think I'm smarter than they are - but, to be fair, I thought that even before my mother and step-father got religion.

[OriginalGeek]

12. I once heard someone say that nothing produced atheists like

being raised in Catholic school. I often wonder if they ever went to fundamentalist baptist school. The hypocrisy, overt racism, hateful bigotry and ridiculous tales of supernatural feats along with outright refusal to listen to anything scientific (our church was big on young earth creationism even before I knew that was a term) made me start questioning my faith in my young teens and by the time I graduated from Christian high school at 17 I was just done with the whole concept. I left home and the church a month or so after graduating and looked at other belief systems for a time and decided it was all bunk.

Today I'm a happy, healthy atheist with 3 kids and fixing to celebrate my 27th wedding anniversary (to a Baptist woman! lol, she says she is but I've never seen her go to church) in a week and half and I doubt that better ghost detector will come along in my lifetime.

[cynatnite]

4. There is no evidence that a god or gods exist. That's why I am an atheist...

I used to be a christian, but happily am no longer.

[temporary311]

15. I wouldn't take it seriously

because there is many times more evidence that people lie, misremember, get mislead, or are simply mistaken about what they see/experience than there is "supernatural events" occur.

And yes, I realize anything times 0 is still 0, but you know what I mean .

[FiveGoodMen]

16. People have seen ghosts, the devil, flying saucers, and Russia from a house in Alaska

What people tell me they've seen means nothing to me.

[ZombieHorde]

5. When I was in Catholic school as a small child,

I thought there was something weird going on. I was an atheist, but I did not know what an atheist was. I got in trouble for blasphemy a few times, but I thought I was just making jokes and being silly. I didn't understand why washing my armpits with holy water was offensive to the adults around me. I didn't understand why making jokes about the Holy Bible was offensive to adults around me. My mother said that she tried to raise me a good Christian, but it just wouldn't stick for some reason.

[Zoeisright]

6. Gradually over the years.

Went to parochial school and tortured myself over loving science - couldn't see reconciling it with religion. Started thinking about it and realized there is absolutely not one tiny little bit of credible evidence for any kind of sky being. If there is one, why is it such a big secret? Show yourself!

I also started getting completely sick of how religious people want to be treated with kid gloves, and how all of their "evidence" for their "beliefs" is in their heads only. Not to mention the hatred oozing from the pores of everyone I ever saw sitting in a church.

[Warren Stupidity]

7. raised by agnostic/atheist parents

never indoctrinated in woo/religion never had to reject that.

By the time I was old enough to think about religions it was clear to me that they were not serious explanations for anything.

[JNelson6563]

8. Grew up Catholic, happily.

Religion was a source of comfort to me as a child and even at points in adulthood. I enjoyed my years at Catholic school (we had lay teachers and nuns who were rather liberal and kind-hearted) but had a crazy, somewhat violent mother at home so such a place would naturally be a welcome respite.

At one point I really began to spread my wings on a more intellectual level. Looked at things, looked into things, like never before. Followed threads where-ever they took me. Ended up an atheist.

Religion served me well through much of my life but I feel as though I outgrew it and that it was a rather natural occurrence.

Julie

[JNelson6563]

14. It was a process.

And frankly, having figured it all out was rather enlightening & empowering. My entire world view changed. It took me some years to figure it all out. Much studying. The process forced me to grow intellectually and emotionally. If I hadn't I could not have achieve objectivity. Very challenging but well worth the effort. I consider it one of my more hard earned accomplishments.

Best to you in your own journey.

Julie