i think i might be becoming one... i just dont know. i dont agree with christianity, but i dont know if i really believe that there is nothing out there.
i am 14 btw
2007-12-02 11:37:22 · 54 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I was thirteen years old when I first declared that I was an atheist -- I was being "forced" to go to church. Believing in gods is pretty stupid, in my opinion. I guess that's why I have no real respect for either of my stupid, douche-bag parents.
My advice: Start the struggle now; it'll make your life easier much sooner if you do.
2007-12-02 11:43:04 · answer #1 · answered by ►solo 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Around 15 is was agnostic and just not sure what I believed anymore. About 25 I realized I was atheist. I did a lot of reading about religion. I found it interesting that all civilizations had god(s). The gods always did the same things, explained things science hadn't explained yet, made people feel like they were not alone, and told them it was going to be OK after death because there was a better place to go. So I figured that meant there was either a god and it didn't really care which religion we followed or there was no god. Since I have no proof that there is one, I don't believe there is.
2007-12-02 11:45:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hope this helps...
I started questioning religion when I was 14. I grew up a Mormon, and started feelig as though I didn't believe all of the 'history' behind the church. I also didn't agree with many teachings, which are very conservative. The older I became I kept thinking about it all, but as I grew into adulthood and adapted a very liberal lifestyle, I knew that Mormonism was not the religion for me.
However, I also noticed that although Mormons believe that Jesus was the savior, the people I knew that were fastest to judge their religion were other Christians. Even here, in this forum dedicated to theology, the only people I see telling others that they are "wrong" are Christians, which distresses me. Jesus said to love one another. So why in religion do people point fingers, judge each other, start wars... instead of just love one another?
I'm 25 and I've just now gained the strength to leave my church, officially, after many years of just not going. Maybe there is another religion out there for you- a friend of mine left Catholocism and became Jewish- but for me, I have to go with something that coinsides with my lifestyle... and haven't really found anything yet. I've personally stopped believing that there is a "god" that we all fight about. I think that most people just want something to believe in- they need it.
So that's my story of when and why I became an athiest. I hope that you enjoy your journey of discovering what is best for you- just remember to follow your heart, and not let others make you feel bad about what you know it right. Good luck.
2007-12-02 11:49:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I use to call myself an Atheist. I don't mean this in a harsh way, but Atheist are the most misinformed people on the planet. To believe that God or a Devine being Can Not exist is just ignorant. You would literally have to know every know fact to prove that a God can't exist. You actually have to have More proof to be an Atheist than you do a Buddhist, Christian, Moslem, Jew, ect.
Agnostics, on the other hand, just decide that no one can know. That theory can be respected from an intellectual stand point as well as a spiritual stand point.
Look, I came from what I thought was Atheism to become an Agnostic. I fought the Bible and spoke bad about it, but realized that I'd never read it. I only developed my reasoning for being against it from going to Catholic Church and seeing Christians behaving so poorly and unforgiving. I got sick of being preached this "Do good or God will send you hell" preaching. Then I decided to read through the New Testament of the Bible so when I tell people I don't believe in it, I can site my source... I've been a Christian ever since.
Look, your 14, you've got a lot of things going on in your life and your about to step into the middle stage of life. Don't give up yet. Try and fully understand what Jesus preached before you turn your back on Him, I've been there and I can promise you He'll Never turn his back on You.
Start off with these books if you want to see first hand the works of an Atheist turned Christian...
The author is Lee Strobel and the first book is "A Case for Faith" then next "A Case for Christ"
You'll thank yourself if you take the time to read those two books before you make your decision.
And if you Love to read and you can comprehend on a very intelligent level ( I say this because this book is GREAT, but a dry read ), one of the best books I've read is by C.S. Lewis called "Mere Christianity"
Good luck on your Journey, it will be the Most important journey of your life, literally. If you look further into Christianity with an open hear, I promise you that you will find Love and Peace and you will be able to See and Feel God each and every day.
Peace & Love
May God Bless You on your Journey
2007-12-02 11:55:31 · answer #4 · answered by HC Johnson 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋
I was 12 or 13. I just began to think that none of the things that people believed in those days has been true. The church believed that the earth was flat, they believed in witches, they believed the sun moved around the earth. Just about everything was wrong and yet we are supposed to believe that they got it right on god and religion? I believe that god was just their way of explaining something they did not understand. Humans have been around for a very short period in the history of the universe and yet we claim to know what created it and that we are the most important reason for its creation. To me it is the human ego that makes us believe in god, we even go as far as to say that we were created in this god's image. Let's not forget that humans look pretty similar to chimps.
As an atheist I don't claim to know the origin of the universe and I don't claim to know that there is some life after death but the beauty of it is that I don't need to know. I want to live my life in a way that I feel is right. I always hear people saying that if there is no god then people would just go committing crimes and being generally evil. I couldn't disagree more, I don't need a higher power to tell me right from wrong, I want to be a good person because I as a human want to live a life that I can be proud of and not one where I was only good because I was afraid of some angry invisible god.
Religious people will tell you that you have to have faith but in my opinion that just means that you have to shut off your brain to reality, that don't want you to ask questions but instead you just have to blindly read the bible and accept these fairytales as the truth.
Hope that helps.
2007-12-02 11:50:52 · answer #5 · answered by observer212 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I am 16 so I am in the same boat as you. I started to question religion at about your age. I found it hard to believe that some invisible force was out there. it was a very confusing time for me.
i was in a pretty religious family. i decided that there was no god because evolution made a lot more since. my advise, wikipedia evolution and get some facts. im not trying to persuade you away from religion, but im just telling you what i believe.
good luck on your self realization
2007-12-02 11:45:54 · answer #6 · answered by Michael U 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
At your age I was simply apathetic about religion, but I believed there "might" be something out there. In my mid 20's I came to the realization that nothing in this world makes sense if the theologians are right. So I read the bible, and that removed all doubt -- there is no god.
I suggest you read the bible (the whole thing). It's the best recruiting tool for atheism I know.
2007-12-02 12:01:27 · answer #7 · answered by battleship potemkin AM 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I think I've always been one. Even as a little kid I can remember hearing stories of God and Jesus and thinking that this sounds like a fantasy movie or cartoon. You know, fiction!
It's never struck me as true, especially considering the world I've observed all my life.
Even when I'm at friends or relatives homes and they are saying Grace, it sounds bogus to me. There's usually a thank you to God for the food on the table or their home. God had nothing to do with those. Farmers raised the food, and the people whose home I'm in worked hard to buy that food down the line. Same with their home.
It's not that I don't want to believe. What could be nicer than knowing you are allowed to sin, but as long as you recognize Jesus as your savior, you get a free ticket to eternal paradise as long as you genuinely repent. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. But I've never been able to make that leap of faith.
2007-12-02 11:45:05 · answer #8 · answered by Uncle Pennybags 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I have to say that I dont recall ever really believing in it. I went to church very Sunday with my parents until I was 15. Same goes for Santa. Yep, Santa and I had a blast at church....
Just because you can't fathom some of lifes mysteries does not mean you should conclude that god did it. In the past, mental illness was considered to be posession by the devil. Thanks to inquiring minds who thought the "goddidit" explanation was insufficient, we now know differently .
2007-12-02 11:45:41 · answer #9 · answered by mam2121 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In my late 30's, but just remember that Christianity is not the only option. I looked into many spiritual paths before I found what felt right to me..Make up your own mind
2007-12-02 11:48:24 · answer #10 · answered by FallenAngel© 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋