Any adult Atheists who used to practice a religion then left? Why?

Question

Seriously, what changed your mind?

Answer 1

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AubSXKnJwfsKhR5Lea4t1P7sy6IX?qid=20060819120122AAloKKG


I spent years of my life attempting to find evidence to support my beliefs, and to persuade others. But, there is no such evidence.

The only logical choice is atheism. My "faith" is not "blind faith" and cannot be sustained by lies and myths (the bible).

And, it amuses me in a sad sort of way when Christians on Y!A's tell me that there is evidence to support their beliefs. I know for a fact there is not because I spent more years of my life than many of them have been alive trying to find that evidence.

It is not there.

Answer 2

From an early age it was much easier for me comprehend a Universe without God, an infinite Universe. It was always difficult to believe that the Red Sea was parted or that a dead man rose from the grave. Or why would the entire creator of the Universe have any interest in such tiny and insignificant creatures as we. Or that same creator just happens to look just like we do! I realized that we created God to explain things that we could not, or would not, understand. To give some people a belief that even though you think your life is bad now, you have eternity to get it right.

Answer 3

I spent 25 years as a catholic. For 15 years I was devoted and nothing could have rocked my faith. For the last 10 years of that 25 I had serious doubts but maintain my catholic faith. It was at 33 years old that I seriously read and studied the bible and after which I knew I could not be part of any religion that used this book of nonsense as the basis of its faith. So you want to know what changed my mind...the bible did.

Answer 4

I never really fell for the whole god thing for the most part growing up. And then when i found out about Santa i put 2 and 2 together. Even then i tried my hardest to believe... i figured since just about everyone else believed there must be something wrong with me... then i grew up, gained lots of knowledge, studied other religions and came to the conclusion that nobody really knows anything when it comes to religious dogma... that was proverbial straw. Since then it's only become more clear to me that I'm on the right track.

Answer 5

Most people only follow a religion because their parents did and they become brainwashed.
I found as I grew older that those people who claimed to be good christians didn't actually believe it enough to affect their behaviour in daily life. I began to see just what a hollow sham it all was and how it was merely a system of social control.
How many rich christians give all their money to the poor?

Answer 6

I spent many years (18 to be exact), trying to be the good little Christian that my family wanted, but it never seemed to make any sense. The God they wanted me to believe in seemed cruel and capricious based on what I read in the Bible. He never answered my prayers (or anyone else's, that I saw) or seemed to care when I forgot or didn't want to pray. When I sinned, nothing happened to me unless my parents caught me. After a while, I just realized that there was nothing there. I had spent (wasted) years of my life pursuing nothing and feeling guilty because I couldn't be what my family wanted, because I did things they didn't approve of. The day I finally admitted to myself that I didn't have to feel that way, that there was nothing there, was one of the happiest days of my life. I have never felt more free or at peace with my life since I made that decision.

Answer 7

I always felt like I was lying to myself. It was horrible.

Answer 8

I still brush my teeth religiously.