Why did you choose to be an atheist?

Question

I hope it ain't offensive, cause this is an honest question. Also, if you could, provide me with any info regarding a religion you were a part of before this such as Taoism.

Good answers. Thank you for your time... though I wish negativity and snappy remarks were put to a halt. Even though I am a Christian, I overheard that atheists either would treat me as a Christian the same or better. My questions are meant for answers, not jokes or anything similar.

Answer 1

I didn't exactly choose to be an atheist. I think most atheists would say the same thing. I became atheist because I came to believe that gods don't exist.

Most people don't simply choose their beliefs. Most people come to believe things because it has been hammered into them from birth, or they have studied it in great depth. Others can simply form beliefs based on faith in a leader or text.

I was raised catholic, but never bought into it, even when I was very young. By 10 I had extreme doubts and suspicions. I didn't even know if anyone else in the world had "evil thoughts" like me. I had no name for my belief system. By 14 or so, I had learned that I was agnostic - I thought it was probably impossible to prove or disprove god's existence. By 17 I was even more doubtful regarding gods and I began to learn about epistemology, the nature of knowledge. I learned that even scientific facts imply an extremely small amount of doubt - so small that it is not worth considering the alternative. That's when I realized that I should simply start calling myself atheist, because I believe that the possibility of gods existing is so small (less than 1 in 1000 chance) that it is not worth considering unless a compelling argument or evidence arises.

Answer 2

I was born in a catholic family, and I was baptized against my will when I was just months old. Then when I was a teenager, I started to question the existence of god and all what had to do with religion, and It didn't make sense. And then I was awaken. So I guess common sense is the reason I'm an atheist.

Answer 3

I've answered different versions of this before if you want to review old answers.

However, i don't think I "chose" to become an atheist. It wasn't like I sat down one day and said...ok, there is no evidence for god, I choose not to believe.

Originally I was a believer. It took years to lose my belief, and even after I was 99% sure.....I would still have doubts..."what if" thoughts.....but eventually that passed too. Haven't had doubts about my nonbelief in god(s) for years.

Answer 4

Your choice of question is absolutely wrong. To choose means that the option exists. For most of us, in fact, all of us, god never existed. We did not one day wake up and decide that we no longer wanted to believe in this truth, we just don't think there is that truth. I think the question you want to ask is not this one. I think you want to know something along the lines of why we are atheists. Even then the answer is simpe and I think you will find everyone giving the same one.

Answer 5

The not anything. An afterlife could be a curse. Might be k for like one thousand years, however what approximately the one thousand after that? The million, the billion, the trillion? And in spite of everything that it hasn't even began.

Answer 6

I'm not, I'm a polytheist. Too bad you don't post a question about why us Pagans choose to be polytheists. I used to be a Christian before I switched religions to Ásatrú.

I can understand why people choose Atheism though, it's very logical.

Answer 7

I don't think Atheists CHOSE Atheism. In fact, and I know this from openly declaring myself as a witch, any time you state a non-belief in the prevalent religion, Christianity, people ostracize you and treat you like crap.

Answer 8

Choose? As in decide? Never happened. I examined the world, read a lot, thought a lot and arrived at an inescapable conclusion.

Choose? When did you 'choose' not to believe in santa claus?

Answer 9

Somethings very wrong with a god concept that has taken over 100 million lives and encourages the followers to ignore it. I don't believe in that kind of righteousness. Unfortunately religious people do.

Answer 10

well, i believe that this planet and the universe is one huge coincidence and everything that is non-mortal has been invented by people with mental diseases

as well, i dont care about other people or life in general, and i prefer to maintain a sceptical view towards anything that gives people hope in something bigger than mortal existence.