atheists/nonbelievers/agnostic only?

Question

If you are one of those selected above what made you choose to be an atheist/agnostic or nonbeliever? Just curious.

Answer 1

When I was 11 or so, I just started asking myself if I really believed what I was being taught in church (I was raised Christian). I began reading a lot in philosophy and religious studies, and simply doing a lot of thinking. By the time I was 13, I considered myself an agnostic atheist. I am still interested in religious studies, but more for the mere pursuit of knowledge and understanding rather than a (metaphorical) soul-searching process.

Answer 2

Learned to think properly... e.e., learned to employ reason, logic and critical thought. Once those intellectual tools are applied to religious belief, the religious belief go away... poof.

If you think about it, that makes a lot of sense. Intelligence tests mainly provide an indication of reasoning ability and problem solving ability... logic, reason and critical thought. These are the very qualities that see through religion, and recognize it for what it is; i.e., religion cannot survive the glaring light of reason and critical thought. This was well understood by important figures in religious history. This is why the early church destroyed all the 'tainted' (non-canonical) writings, which were in conflict with dogma... Greek philosophy, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, engineering... all the good stuff. By this means, Christianity dragged humanity directly into the Dark Ages.

Just to illustrate the point, let's see what Martin Luther, the 'father' of protestantism, had to say about 'reason' and secular knowledge:

"Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed. Faith must trample underfoot all reason, sense, and understanding, and whatever it sees must be put out of sight and ... know nothing but the word of God." ~ Martin Luther

"Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but -- more frequently than not -- struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God." ~ Martin Luther

"There is on earth among all dangers no more dangerous thing than a richly endowed and adroit reason... Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed." ~ Martin Luther

"Reason should be destroyed in all Christians." ~ Martin Luther

Answer 3

I am blown away by reveranceofme sayng that people who cry in public are weak. My precious precious father died unexpectedly and suddenly right in front of me and you damn well better believe I break down in public. When I shop, and pass a treat I always liked to pick up for him, tears stream down my face. When I hear his favorite song over a pa system, tears stream down my face.

I can't imagine what kind of a sociopath you have to be to believe crying in public is a sign of weakness. it's a sign of being human, of having been attached to people, of having a heart.

as an atheist, i find reveence's comment so inhumane, I could only imagine it was made by a christian pretending to know how atheists think. At any rate, I hope reverence , that you are never slammed to the ground by a grief so horrible that you can barely walk, let alone stop tears from flowing.

I won't even move on to the idiotic statement about fat people being weak, or my mind will just explode at the contemptible ignorance.

Answer 4

There is no evidence supporting the existence or non-existence of a deity. The need for order and reasons does exist which most fill with a god or gods of some sort. I can accept randomness, hence no need for a deity. Doesn't mean I will never accept/reject based on new evidence. Nor does it mean I think that people who believe in a deity are wrong. They may have found personal evidence or need for a deity. If it makes their life easier or more fulfilling that is reason enough to believe.

Answer 5

I was never raised as a religious person, so basically I had license to choose my own belief. The idea of a supreme being(s) just doesn't seem logical or reasonable to me, so I am an atheist. However, I believe in tolerance and diversity, and I have great respect for religious people as long as they are not prejudiced bigots.

Answer 6

i'm an agnostic atheist.
I came to this belief because of evidence (the fossil record as 1 example) And, the lack of evidence for a deity. There is none, whatsoever. That doesn't mean there ever will be, just that up till now, there is none, and i don't expect the situation to change anytime soon.

Answer 7

Logic. I looked at the evidence and decided God probably didn't exist, at least not a god like that of any major religions. Until the evidence changes sufficiently, I'm going to stay an atheist, because it's logical.

Answer 8

What exactly are you asking? If a atheist/ non-believer/ agnostic person made me become an atheist/ non-believer/ agnostic person? Well... not really. I am because I always have thought the idea of a personal god to be the result of weakness, like fat people and those who cry in public. Really, I suppose I created my beliefs before I knew others had them. I never believed in god.

Answer 9

After many years of being raised christian, it suddenly occured to me that if I'd been born in India, I would think Hindu was the one true faith. It occured to me that geography and culture determined what I believe about God, and nothing more.

This opened my mind to start studying the bible as a text, rather than 'the world of god.' One of the first things I saw was the line in Genesis that 'the sons of giants married the daughters of man." I saw WHOA - that looks like mythology. Then, I started learning how the stories in the bible are repeated in other regional cultures.

Then, it occured to me that to say you have an all-knowing God who is also an all-loving God did not fit with the story that God knows before we are born what we will do with our free will - in other words, he wil let you be born even tho he knows you are going to hell. This made no sense whatsoever.

Then, I started reading Greek mythology - wonderful, wonderful tales - and I noticed that Zeus was always impregnating earth maidens whose offspring where saviors of mankind! Then, I learned about Mithra, who Constantine worshipped. Mithra was born 12/25, in a cave. he died for the sins of his followers!

Then, my brain said here is what the christ story is saying - god so loved the world... God wouldn't allow us into heaven, the story goes, since the time of Noah, because we were so wicked. (Wierd, cause he'd killed all the wicked ones...) Anyway, God really really missed us being with him in heaven but he couldn't just let us in. He is the all-powerful god, but he can't let us into heaven Rules are rules and his hands are tied.....by whom?

UNLESSS!!!!! taking a page from his cousin Zeus, he goes to earth, impregnates an earth maiden, and creates the most perfect human to walk the planet. A human God, something like hercules. And this perfect being, the Christ, is the key to god being able to let us back into heaven. Yes sir, all god has to do is incite earthlings to murder his son and the humans all get to slide back into heaven on his blood.

really understanding what that tale was saying - that was the nail in the coffin of belief in mythology for me.
i think christ's teachings are, like thomas jefferson said, the best evolution of ethics since the Greeks. like jefferson, I think christ was a man, only a man.

I think, as Christ told Judas, in the gospel of judas, his followers did not understand his message and immediately became lost in writing down stupid rules for everyone that eviscerated christ's philosophy.

Paul was the final nail in the coffin of christianity being a meaningful philsophy (except for for the catholics) because paul said - oh forget everything jesus is teaching - you can't be that good.

Just chant these magic words and you will go to heaven - no matter what you ever do in life. Why, you can order the torture of innocent people, drop bombs on neighborhoods, execute people begging you for mercy, and you can still be revered as a 'christian.'

James, the brother of christ, said this nonsense is a 'dead faith' and, alas, he was right.

Check out the book "misquoting jesus" by a scholar who was a fundmantalist. You'll learn that the story about 'he who is without sin cast the first stone' wasn't even in the bible manuscripts until 400 A.D. It was added, just stuck in there, by some scribe copying manuscripts.

I did just read about Alexander the Great in Maccabees last night - what a trip to see Alexander in the bible. Apparently, the hebrews approved of him - didn't know he was gay, i guess - and said the whole world was ruled by him (overlook that error) and that he had an uplifted heart, so the world was great. then, he ruled 12 years, died, gave his kingdom to his 12 relatives (actually 12 generals), and all went to heck.

Answer 10

My mother started making me go to church. Before that, I never had any doubt in the existence of god. It was only after hearing scriptures and doing research on them in my own free time that I came to the conclusion that it was all bunk.