Am I in the minority amongst Atheists? If I am, how small a minority do you think?

Question

A few questions lately have got me thunking. (sic)
This one is the latest - http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Apsg9C_w9qA4A9g4VjnMesPd7BR.;_ylv=3?qid=20071102174133AAsQamf

It appears that everyone who calls themself Atheist, at least here in R&S, were at one point believers. I find this curious to say the least. I can honestly say that I have never, ever in my life had a religious thought.

My parents were one of each, Methodist and Catholic, but being British it was not part of our lives particularly. I sang in choir and all that usual stuff, but I never believed in god, at all ever.

I specifically recall as a very young child thinking how daft it sounded to think that an invisible person was watching me at all times. (as a kid it was obviously a lot simpler).

I completely understand how a person can come from belief into reality, but I have yet to find anyone who never had the belief in the first place.

Tell me I am not alone!!!

I will concede that it makes it harder for me to relate to anyone with religious beliefs and easier to, well not be as tolerant as some of you :) Having never been there, it is really like they believe Star Wars is real or something. God is that unreal to me. Bordering on comical.

Cool, I see more answers to the linked Q. Seems there's a lot more here that it seemed :)

Answer 1

You're not alone. I was raised in a Jewish family but I remember thinking from a very young age that I didn't really believe in god but I pretended to and tried to because I didn't know it was an option to be an atheist.

Answer 2

I was pretty much raised in a christian setting.went to a private academy.Did the church thing every Sunday and many wednesdays too.I often looked around wondering what it was that would get people to go up and kneel at the alter when the preacher would ask if the holy spirit was talking to them.I tried everything possible to connect with this god.I believed in the sense that it was what i was told to do.But it all seemed rather empty to me.I even asked some of my friends if they actually felt this holy ghost when they went up.Amazingly,they were honest enough to say no.They too were just doing what they told was right.I think most people are just playing along.I also found it all very very strange at a young age.Anyway,ive never been happier since i stopped pretending.I have more time to spend on learning about the real things this life has to offer.If there's a god,so be it.I'll meet him on the other side i guess.

Answer 3

I'm in your same boat.

I was raised in a non-religious household. I went to church with my dad who went with an elderly neighbor of ours. It wasn't till I was maybe 10 years old that I even realized that anyone really thought the services were anything more than sometimes entertaining but often incomprehensible stories.

My response... "huh?"

Answer 4

"You are not alone!" I have never been nor ever will be a believer in god or any other superstition. My parents never were really god fearing either. My grandma on my mothers side was a catholic, but not all that "hardcore" about it.

Answer 5

I don't think you are alone. I think it's the environment. Here in America religion is everywhere. And people talk to you as if its the most normal thing in the world to believe in god. You just didn't think about there NOT being one!

Answer 6

I'm just guessing, but I'd bet that "atheist-from-birth" is rare, but hopefully becoming less rare with each generation.

I'm one of the ones who finally hacked my way through the dense Catholic underbrush to see the light of reason.

Answer 7

I never believed, either. My parents were both American Methodists and while the church and people were nice, the paranormal beliefs never made sense.

Answer 8

My parents were both raised as Roman Catholics, both thought it was a load of crap. I never had any religious training at all.

Answer 9

I had no religous upbringing whatsoever and I don't "believe' because I've never had any reason to. My parents weren't religious either.

Answer 10

We people share basic ancestors with the "monkeys" (chimps, gorilas and a few others). yet once you % to label an australopitecus afarensis (case in point) as a "monkey", pass forward. i will't see something incorrect in descending from a "monkey".