atheist! where you ever a believer?

Question

like did your parents make you go to sunday school or church???? answers sincerely appreciated thank you! im 15 so yea im curius thanx(im religious *cathlic*)

Answer 1

Yes, i was a believer. I went to a baptist school for 6 yrs. I tell some of my christian frieds that I have forgotten more than some people know. I had a friend who was envious of my past knowledge of the scriptures. But, I sat down, and did some thinking, and, to me, they were nothing more than just tales to tell your children so they can sleep at night, or eat their vegetables, and such. It just doesn't feel right to me. One big question that I always wondered is, if God created the universe, where did God come from. If they universe had to come from somewhere, why doesn't God?

Answer 2

I was raised Southern Baptist, and was a devout Christian.

I began to learn things around the age of 13 that didn't click with what I had heard at church. So I began to look into them.

I studied science, history, religion, and philosophy in my spare time, to attempt to make sense of facts that appeared to contradict the bible.

By the time I was 15, I was what you would call agnostic. (OH, and I should point out... that I prayed and begged God at this point to give me the strength and the faith to continue with my Christian beliefs. The LAST thing I wanted was to lose my "god" and become an atheist. It was a rather frightening time for me) God never answered. By the time I was 18, I was a bonified atheist. And I have been ever since. I turn 34 in a few days, so I've had a few more years to think it over...

Answer 3

I went to Catholic school for 12 years, took a lot of religion classes and read the entire bible, and I went to church every sunday until I was about 15 or 16. What I learned was that Religion was created by men to serve mankind, but really has no link to the higher power. You could worship god, or allah, or a tree, but what really matters is being a good person and doing good to others. Heaven and Hell were made up to keep people in line, and the Bible was a book, created by men and edited over hundreds of years into the form it is in today and there is absolutely no reason to believe that it contains the inspired words of God.

Answer 4

Yes, I was. I was Roman Catholic from the time I was born. I made the personal decision for myself, without influence from my parents, to be confirmed Catholic, and was studying to enter the seminary to become a priest. It was about that time that I slowly came to realize all the great inconsistencies and flaws in the Bible and despite nearly two years, on and off, of alternately furiously demanding or humbly begging for anything from God to save my faith.

The proof, evidence, or help, never showed up.

Strangely enough, the last time I closed my Bible as a believer, I realized that I had found the strength and security I had lost during the time of transition, and I knew that I was finally once again on the right path for my life. The next time after that that I opened my Bible was as an atheist, and I've not had any reason or desire to return to my faith filled adys.

I don't regret that I had given my life to my faith before, nor do I regret my atheism now. Both parts of my life are important and have contributed to the person I am now.

Answer 5

I am an agnostic but yes I was raised with religion - Baptist to be exact. I went to church weekly and Sunday School. However, I can truly say that even though I was exposed week after week I never deep down believed what I was being told. So, when I was 15 I walked away and have never been back.

Answer 6

I am also catholic, and I guess I could have been a believer had I not been permanently forced into Sunday school, church, the bible and the rest of the blablabla, through childhood and my teens. I say I could have been because I do believe profoundly in a superior force. I do not however believe in any religion and I do not believe in any of the Gods that we humans have invented. Does that help?

Answer 7

I've actually never been to church once in my life, for any reason. My mother is nonreligious and my father leans toward atheist, and his father was also atheist.

Actually, now that I think of it, I can't think of a single member of my family who's Christian... but that's besides the point.

I was raised in an environment where my parents literally told me to make up my own mind, and that they weren't going to tell me what's right and what's wrong. When I was younger I couldn't really appreciate it; now that I'm older, I can't thank them enough for it. It's broadened my horizons and allowed me to investigate all sorts of topics relating to spirituality, and I wouldn't have been able to do that if they had gotten me into one single religion from the start.

Answer 8

My mom taught me about God and brought me to church when I was little. She said I was free to follow any religion I wanted. I didn't feel like church was right for me. I didn't know how a human, the preacher, could know so much about God. I wasn't sure what to think. I only went three or four times. As I got older, I realized I was atheist.

Answer 9

I have lived quite a religious odyssey. I am the son, grandson, nephew, and cousin of Methodist ministers. On my own, I was a "Jesus Freak" during high school (in the 1970s), majored in Religion in a Methodist college, and spent one year in seminary.

When it became clear being gay would render me ineligible for ordination, I left seminary and divorced the Methodists, refused to return the Baptists' calls, fled abuse from the Catholics, & engaged in heavy petting with the Episcopalians & eventually the Unitarians. Each step led me closer to agnosto-atheism.

But then I fell in love with secular Buddhism because when following a Buddhist spiritual path, belief in God is unnecessary.

Answer 10

Yes I went to church. Only when I wanted to. I was not made to go. I found it interesting but I don't think there was ever a time I truly believed. As I got older and leared more, I relized that god and the bible truly made no sence.