Atheists: were you raised as an atheist, or did you give up some other religion?

Question

If you left another religion, which one was it and why did you leave?

Answer 1

I was raise a Presbyterian. I used to want the Truth when I was young, but the (little t, some call them facts) truth keep getting in the way. Finally I asked myself, "Self, why do I believe.". Frankly, other than some vague feeling, there was no reason.

Now I have to say I'm a skeptic. My class of people usually get rather beat up in the public debate, so let me say something. I believe in; love as a guiding force, justices as a noble goal, and the human spirit as an indomitable force.

I've notice skeptics call soulless, heartless, and cold. Frankly, this is as much an insult to those that lack the introspection to make the comment as to my kind. Simply because we have decided to be guided by our reason rather than our emotions, dose not lessen our spirit or impugn our character! I would take a person of reason as a friend on any day I met them.

Answer 2

Raised Catholic. Started to question my beliefs, and went on the "Round the World Religions Tour in 8 Years", which included:
Calvary Chapel
Lutheran
Mormon
Buddhist
Islam

I eventually settled as an Agnostic, which isn't Atheist (Agnostic is admitting that you don't know if God exists, Atheism is the lack of belief in God).

I left all the religions above because they didn't make sense. The devil is in the details, and when you get up close and personal with each major religion, you start to see the cracks in the facade. The close you get, the bigger the cracks get, until they appear as chasms that cannot be crossed by logic.

I guess that's why they call it "Faith", and not "Logic".

Answer 3

Born and raised catholic, started questioning around age 15-16, started some research, realized it was all bogus around age 18, lost faith and became agnostic. It was only a couple months ago where I made the distinction that god was an incredible improbability and everything we see does have a natural explanation (started learning about evolutionary biology and cosmology, etc.), so I became an atheist.

Answer 4

Was raised Baptist, then moved to Methodist, Pentecostal, and Catholic churches. None could prove anything to me. I was a child genius, and being so, not very impressionable. I never believed in Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, or in the crazy stories from the Bible. People being eaten by whales and then spit up days later with nothing wrong? Every single type of animal we have today, every species of every type, crammed into a wooden boat? Women coming from our rib bones? That's a hard sell to someone with an IQ slightly higher that Einstein's, sorry.

Answer 5

I was raised Catholic. I even attended a Catholic school from kindergarten through eighth grade. I became an atheist well before I finished.

Hmm, has anyone noticed that the majority answering this question are former Catholics? Well, at least the Catholic church is doing something right!

Answer 6

I was raised as a Catholic. I left when I learned how to think properly, and came to the conclusion that ALL religion is horsesh*t... about 15 years old, if I recall correctly.

It is sad to realize that over 75% of the population of the USA does not know how to think properly.

Answer 7

Raised an atheist.

Answer 8

I was raised Catholic for 10 years, had a brief stint as a Protestant, then Agnosticism, and now I'm Atheist.

I do not have anyone in my family who is atheist, but I've recently discovered that a few are agnostic, and one is a fanatical Protestant.

Answer 9

My parents were lapsed protestants or somesuch but pretty much atheistic. I went to a public school were gods were discussed in comparative religion classes. My parents asked me if I wanted to be baptized when I could understand the concept and I thanked them but didn't.

Answer 10

I was raised a protestant but abandoned it around the time I discovered Greek mythology(11-12 yo). I came to the conclusion that gods were simply made up.