Are you an atheist?

Question

I'm sure this question has been asked before, but I'm too lazy to go through the pages to find it... so here is it again.

Are you an atheist? And what made you one? What was your tipping point?

:)

PLEASE ONLY ANSWER IF YOU ARE ONE.

I want to know because I'm curious?

And no I am not trying to convert anyone. I know how narrow-minded and presumptous you thiests can be.

Answer 1

It's pretty simple, I just applied what I knew about Santa Claus to another chap with a white beard.

Answer 2

Yes. One grandfather ran away to sea on the square riggers to escape the brutality of a Roman Catholic seminary. The other grandfather taught me that any belief, unquestioned, could be dangerously misleading. However my father, who loved discussion, would always discuss such issues with anyone at all, on the proposition that there just might be a God of some sort. So I studied the religions and went to all my friends' Sunday Schools as a child. There I was appalled by the proposition that we are all "sinners", and by the narcissistic and jealous character of the God in the Old Testament, and others I found in other tracts - mostly dominating bullies on whom subsequent Churches etc modeled their heirarchies. So I became more interested in the wonders of science, though no specialist in it, and recognising our ignorance, which is the first step to wisdom. The fantastic accidents that led to life on Earth, and shaped it, I find a far more awesome marvel than some supernatural Creator etc. I believe it also makes us care more about the choices we make, and their consequences, recognizing the real responsibility we have for them. For an atheist, there are no scapegoats to blame, no superDaddies to hide behind. Only us. If there was a tipping point for me, I'd simply credit my forbears' intelligence.

Answer 3

well i got run over by a vicar and was blamed for it even though he went through a red light!. also reading the bible made me think other wise too. as well has having some pretty harsh times. now that i am an atheist im more happy now then Ive ever been. the bible religions seem to make people turn in to monsters angry bitter people and i was that till i stopped and put my bibles in a box. and like i said i am now a bubbly happy person. and i believe in what we have, i believe in nature. . .erm to explain it .... well if you plaint an apple seed with in time and a little help it will grow in to a fruit tree this tree will bless you with fruit and shelter from rain it also give shelter and food to other animals too. look after it and the following year it will bless you with more fruit. moral is what you give is what you get. and this what i believe, i grow my own veg and do what i can in return to nature. i feed the birds every day and i even go in to my fields and leave carrots and old bits of lettuce for the rabbits. I'm more full filled now then I've ever been,but everyones different they only people i love and trust are my family and loved ones. everyone needs them just enjoy life to the full too go out and experience stuff you'd never normally do, life is what you make of it.

Answer 4

I guess i am more of an agnostic, does that count? What put me over the edge was in the 6th grade at Catholic school when we started to learn about other religions, like the ancient Greeks and Romans. I thought, how could we believe in something one day and then believe in something else the next day. I found the other religions facsinating. Who can actually say what is right? All i can hope is that Allah is not the true prophet of God.

Answer 5

Yes, I am an Atheist. I had always been a skeptic at what I was told. I was never one to believe things at face value; I had to dig in, which led me to some intensive research about Christianity, Judaism and other religions. There wasn't a tipping point.

Answer 6

Yes I'm atheist and I always have been. I'm an individual and I decide for myself. I have read the Bible more than once. There was no turning point for me. Nothing made me this way. When you are born you don't believe or even know of any religion someone has to sell it to you first.

Answer 7

yes and I took a philosphy class only to discover many beliefs. Once I finished the course I was struck with idea that fits me perfect. I am atheist. I beleive to not believe. Nothing ever good came from religion. so why join a the sheep when I could be my own shepherd.

Answer 8

I am - I could never believe any gods were real, any more than I could believe superheroes were real.

Nobody can prove any gods, much less a specific god, exist; many people will tell you their god exists but no others, but will never be able to prove it, even if they think so. Some will threaten you with eternal pain or promise eternal joy to get you to believe in their god; these are all stories, created for people who were scared long before we understood the universe. Now we have no more reason for these superstitions.

How terrible the bible in particular is:
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/
http://www.evilbible.com/

What's the origin of the Jesus stories?
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa5.htm
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/origen048.html
http://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/jesus.html

How silly and horrible religion in general is:
http://godisimaginary.com/
http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/

The alternative:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/
http://www.infidels.org/
http://www.positiveatheism.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism

Answer 9

I was raised in an atheistic family. I had a go at looking for God,but the O.T. God, who supposedly gave me free will with the instruction not to use it, turned me off. The unwillingness of Christians to question their faith clinched the deal.

Answer 10

I am, always have been. When I was younger I read the bible, the koran, the vedas and a couple of other manuscripts. They didn't ring true to me, or to be precise, they read as primitive texts written by primitive people looking for reasons for their existence and codifying their morals and laws. Further discussions with theists have given me no reason to change from my default, no-gods stance.