For Atheists...Please answer this for me:?

Question

Im doing a little yahoo answers research, and would like to know:
If you're an atheist, where are you from. City, State, Country.
And, were you raised atheist or did you choose later in life?

Answer 1

I'm not sure what my geographic location has to do with your question, but I live in California. I was raised a Catholic and I first started questioning the mythology when I saw Adam and Eve depicted with navels. You know, belly buttons. I mean, really, where did THOSE come from?

Answer 2

I am from England. A country where there is a Bible reading and a prayer every day in school. So I was exposed to religion both Christianity and Catholicism for 12 years. My parents never went to church and are basically agnostics.

I listened to the stories from the Bible. I looked for God there, and I intelligently evaluated what I had been taught. I came to the conclusion that the Bible is nothing more than fables of primitive man. There could be a God of some kind, but I do not believe any of the various religious sects has the right exact answer.

If there is an after life, I have lived a good life. If I am to be punished for being a free thinker so be it. I would rather that than spend a life time with a fake belief in something.

The link best sums up why I think as I do.

Answer 3

I am sorry as I should not be answering this as I am a Christian BUT there was a question before about religion and the way you were raised, taught. I thought about it and didn't answer it. I have so many questions and confusion anymore. I really think there is a GOD and he watches over this entire world. But I also believe we can' fix it all because He gave us freedom of choice and will. WE are to make the right decisions and all. I think when you hear about ALL religions, I think we are ALL praying to the SAME GOD ---- the words are not written exactly in evey "book' (i.e. the Bible).....as man did write the Bible (and the other books). I think we believe in what we are taught. The Christians are taught and believe the way they do because they were not raised to understand or read the Quran. At the same time, the Quran is VERY similar to the Bible!! People don't know this. We have terrorist in the USA. People who are terrorists in the middle east is because they are "radicals"- - there are also radical Christians. We also have people in the USA who are terrorists. Remember OK City bombings? I may sound "wishy-washy" but ya know what? I like to hear ALL sides. As far as religion goes....NO ONE CAN PROVE ANY OF IT" --- it is ALL based on faith. I, personally, DO have faith.

Answer 4

I was raised Catholic in rural eastern Canada; I stopped practicing when I was about twenty; I realized I was an atheist when I was in my mid-thirties; and ten years later I'm still an atheist and living in Toronto.

I enjoyed the social aspects of catholicism: the sense of community, the music -- although I still think the Protestants had better hymns -- the stories and art and rituals. But even as a kid I never really bought into the dogma; I think I always knew I was only going to church because my parents did and it was something I would never choose to do of my own volition.

Sure enough, I grew up and moved out and stopped going to church and never really missed it. Didn't give it much thought until about fifteen years later, when I finally noticed that I wasn't even pretending to believe any more, so it was silly to describe myself as a "nonpracticing catholic" when in fact I was an atheist.

Answer 5

I'm agnostic, but since all the Chrsitians I know call me an atheist I figured I would answer.
30/M D.C.

Later in life. College to be exact. I began getting suspicous in highschool. I was a musician so I a played in different churches all the time. My best friends was a PK. so I got a good look at the church even the behind the scenes stuff you pious folk never see.

When I got to college I took a sociology of religion clas and that did Jesus in for me. Its really a wholistic change. You are not ready to accept what is so obvious until you first seriously and academically eximne the history and politics around religion. Its really plain to see, but you have a lot of studying to do.

Answer 6

I was raised in a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA and chose to be a cross between an Agnostic and an Atheist later in life but was raised a Catholic.After much soul searching and education into science I have come to the conclusion that religion bites.

Answer 7

See, everytime someone loses a child or best friend they blame it on God. God is no respector of persons as it says in the bible. So Satan figured out what that person's weakness was so he could turn them away from God. I found this to be true because I have worked with 2 such people. They think that just because they looked good and their child was so cute and adorable they blamed God when the child got sick and died. No, it wasn't God's fault, Satan did that to turn those people away from God to become atheists. If your child, loved one, or friend died you should at least be thankful and have hope that they are with Jesus or soon will be.

Also, I don't believe in atheists, they are in truth agnostics because atheists can't prove anything, but they sure do like to argue a lot about it. Watch and see.

Answer 8

Good question, let's just say SmallTown, AL. You gotta keep it on the downlow here or it's the Inquisition:)

My parents are Christians and I was raised going to the Methodist church. What happened? I started reading. Reading is to the brain what exercise is to the body. I always was uncertain but AFRAID to believe otherwise... the threat of Hell to a kid is a scary thing. I started to read and "reason" kicks in and you say to yourself "It just CAN"T be true... it can't. It's so silly that it's ridiculous". Faith means you MUST sacrifice your intellect... and I never could. It's not a slap in the face to God, it's just what I believe and I can't help it, I can't abandon all reason.

Answer 9

Atheist from Baltimore, MD, United States. Raised in a Baptist Christian family, but I never believed. I officially gave up religion when I was thirteen.

Answer 10

Charleston, SC, USA. I was raised as an agnostic, and became an atheist after reading The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the Bible.