Atheists: What was your religious upbringing?

Question

I grew up in the Methodist church, and realized about the time of my confirmation (14 or 15 years old) that I was basically there to please family members. I decided to try to figure what I actually believed of the church's teachings; when I decided the answer was "Almost none of it", I started volunteering in the church nursery during the services, and stopped going when it was possible to do so without incurring family wrath.

How were you brought up? When and how did you make your decision about religion? If you left the family church, how did your parents react when you "came out" as an atheist?

Answer 1

I was raised in a very strict Christian home, but not until my parents divorced. My stepmother and 2 of my three stepbrothers sang in a gospel band. We traveled all over the tri-state area to performances. Every Sunday was spent doing something for the church, and most of our free time during the week also. My oldest stepbrother is a minister in Alabama, and there are a few other ministers scattered about also. Obviously, my father married into a very devout family.

I was about 11 when I told my father that I was an atheist. What brought me to this was the level of violence associated with religion in our home. You were never to question the church or it's teachings. To do so showed dissention, and dissenters were dealt with quickly and harshly. That's a fancy way of saying that beatings were handed out with regularity. I decided that any God who demanded such obedience of me didn't deserve my worship, so I informed my father that it was my opinion that God could not possibly exist.

He disowned me. That's been 28 years now, and I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen him in all those years, and our "conversations" consist of about 3 sentences each. It's at that point we realize we have nothing to say to each other. We don't know a thing about each other's lives.

My dad's 80 years old, in poor health and suffering dementia. I missed out on a relationship with him. I have gone nearly my entire life without a father figure and it has affected me deeply. All because I became an atheist.

Answer 2

Same with me, I too was raised in a Methodist. But I was younger when I knew I didn't believe in what I was being taught. I remember it well, I was 6 and I saw COSMOS by Carl Sagan. I can vividly remember the images and words in the show and thinking that none of this was in Sunday School. This was so much more, this was science. But I kept my mouth shut and just went along for the ride. As I grew up, I gained more confidence, then after 9/11 that was the last straw. I knew that religion, all religion was wrong and holding our species back. I have never felt better now that I fuller embrace the truth. I have yet to talk to my folks about it yet, I don't know why I am hesitant. I am sure my Dad knows but my Mom, I'm not sure. She might disown me!

Answer 3

Southern Baptist. I started questioning the bible stories when I was 5 or 6. Always stirring up trouble in Sunday School for asking questions like "Are jews going to heaven?" And then when my teacher would say no, then arguing as to why not...lol. As I got older I questioned more but also tried harder to be a christian. Struggled for years to feel the presence of something that would tie in to a god. I can't believe how much time I wasted praying and seeking out god. And how jealous and let down I would feel when others would claim to have the "holy spirit". Finally after trying on different flavors of christianity, studying a bit on Wicca and Buddhism I finally decided that atheism was the logical choice for me. I've not yet told my parents and I'm not sure I ever will. My siblings, some cousins, and close friends know and I'm comfortable with that for now. Great question!

Answer 4

Catholic. How did I find atheism? Nothing the priests were saying helped me, nothing that was in the bible helped me. I read it and it just didn't make sense. It wasn't even relative to my life. And if the bible is the only "proof" of God, then why should I believe? God wasn't there for me, I never felt that special feeling of being watched over, it was just going with the flow of the family. You sacrifice an hour a week to be bored, and that's religion.

How did I break it to my family? Slowly. Starting skipping church, then just stopped going. When the issue of religion came up, I just told it like it was. No hard feelings came out of it.

Answer 5

I was raised in a Oneness Pentecostal Church by Christian Fundamentalist parents.

By around 13 or 14, I became increasingly skeptical of Christianity's claims.

I continued attending church, and would occasionally pretend to interpret the so-called messages of those 'speaking in tongues'. I attended church for about another year and a half before I went public with my atheism. My parents told me I was going to Hell, but that I could do what I want with my life.

I basically never talk with them anymore without getting into religious issues.

Answer 6

I grew up in a taoist/buddhist background and when I started to ask questions about rituals, its always the snappy answer and do not anger the Gods response.

Then someone pulled me into a Baptist Church, I went (coz I wanted to meet the girls) and this overzealous pastor or whatever you call them was condemining everyone who dont embrace JC to eternal hell, welcomed me into heaven and my parents go to hell!!! Huh!!! so I left....

then I met this Catholic girl, converted (own free will) and married her but found that weverything was so 'plastic' and man made and everyone just putting on a best Sunday show...marriage broke down after 12 years (she was an alcoholic), fought with me whenever she gets dunk drunk at home and the Church annuled her and threw all the blame onto me...told the priest goodbye, see you in hell and today I am still wondering...

I am not an atheist...I beleive in gods (spirits) made powerful by human worship, that each powerful spirit is like a force and will expire after 2000 years....they are everchanging forces and i blend myself spiritually with my surroundings just like shamanism.

Answer 7

I didn't have a religious upbringing. I never actually believed that a god existed but it really crystallised that religion was all nonsense when I learned that life and the universe in general has rational rather than magical explanations. It's normal to be an atheist in my country (England) so there was no adverse reaction. I hardly know anyone religious at all.

Answer 8

I was raised Catholic, but I always kinda had doubts. I read an interesting article about Christianity online that kinda made me doubt it even more, and I pretty much see all religion as an invention of man to try and make a simple reason for why he exists. I don't know why I'm here, but I don't think that saying someone made me is any more logical than saying I came from an explosion. Whatever, I don't think about it too much lol.

Answer 9

I was raised in a sect of the Evangelical church called Assembly of God. I made my journey to truth about 10 years ago (when I was 20 years old). My parents hate it. My dad especially. He gets so mad when I bring it up. My mom just gets sad and blames herself for not raising me right.

Hello ... I turned out pretty damn good! Being an atheist is the most freedom I have ever felt.

Answer 10

Catholic.
I grew up in a very conservative catholic society and went to an all girls boarding school that may as well have been a convent.
I was like saul in the bible because i was taught all kinds of comebacks for people who tried to question my beliefs (eg humans cannot understand god, it is god's will, god has a reason for everything, god's will is best, you cannot understand faith etc) that every time questions came in my head i was equipped with all the "answers" so although what i learned and preached and practiced never made sense, i stopped myself from questioning it. My turning point was when i hit an unyielding wall in my career path (at the time my career was everything to me) and that in itself was like death to me. I decided if i was going to live, i was going to live life on my own terms. I opened up everything i ever learned to scrutiny and one of the things that came up was religion. Didn't make one bit of sense, so, out the window. so now i take full responsibility for my actions, beliefs and opinions.