Atheists: how many of you practiced a religion before you became atheistic?

Question

Were most of you at some time "Christians"? Were you islamic? Were you just born into an atheistic family? Also, if you/your family practiced some religion, how strongly did you believe in your religion? Please don't group me with my fellow "Christians" who just sit around telling you you're going to hell. I'm not one of them. Serious answers only, please(even though saying this won't affect anything)

Answer 1

I was a practicing catholic for 56years. The whole nine yards. From altar boy (server) to choir boy, mass every day thru the eighth grade,tithed, church every Sunday,total commitment..Somewhat doubting certain issues,but always obeying..Practicing until 2004. When the politics from the pulpit began, along with the petifile priests,the cover ups,and the payouts,with NO admissions of guilt.. Along with documentations by the archdioses, who knowingly MOVED these criminals who were violating the youth in the parishes,I realized the hypocrasy of all organized religions was nothing more than power, and money!! Along with the evangelicals,with their T V ministries, and their leaders one by one SINNING, while they sat in their golden chairs,and extorted money from naive people.. Foundationless promises,with fake tears, and grandeoso churches,they use to impress the weak minded.. If there is a God ,SURELY these people will suffer his wrath.. And rightly so. When I gave up on organized religion, that day was the most liberating experience, I have ever had.. If there is a God, on that final day of judgment, I don't think he will ask you, HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU MAKE WHILE YOU WERE DOWN THERE! Or, what was your bottom line at the end!! Where the pope lives in all his spendor,with the gold and the treasues,I believe if there is a God, and he returns to earth, on that day, the first thing he will do is kick the hell out of the pope!! During the Hollacost of the jews in WWll, although aware of this extermination , never condemned Hitler, instead remained "NEUTRAL" That was another abomination!! And it goes on and on, Adulterors ,Divorce, Homosexuality, the hypocrasy has no end.. They are all ,'Do as I say, not as I do!! Shameful and Disgracful!! I studied Theology, and have totally read the bible, and where it reads GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE!. Stop, and reverse that, and then every thing else makes perfect sense. That is , MAN created GOD ,in HIS image.. I feel it might just be, an imaginary creation of man... Like to think differently, but it really makes good sense! Think about it.. Think about Santa Claus, that guy has been around for a long time, is he real? Weather radar picks him up every year, at the north pole.. Jesus, is just 2000years old, and Mohamad, 1500years old. Are the chinese doomed thousands of years before Christ, and the Egyptians also?? The Christian premis is not only ridiculous, but found lacking.. To proclaim its the ONLY way for salvation, preaches ARROGANCE!! I think I've written too much for everyone to think about at one time.. Sorry I went on a rant! SOLOMON

Answer 2

i'm not atheist, to be fair. but i once was a christian and now, rather than getting into the specifics of what i believe, i'll say i'm agnostic.

my mom was somewhat christian...somewhat of a "cult" sect. but they didn't really approve of my ideas that i didn't need to dress like everyone else. "god" saw me at every moment so there was no reason to be fake and try to dress up just for the congregation since that wasn't who i really was.

so after a "lecture" to my mom on why specific dress was important, she dropped that nonsense.

while still a christian i read the bible for myself without a church to interpret. i was as strong in my faith as a person could be and that's why i couldn't join another church, because evryone i looked into had false teachings and doctrine.

i read the bible everyday. so i am aware of the content. aware enough to see all the discrepancies and hypocricy.

so, yes, i practiced and had faith before i became enlightened.

EDIT.

i was 28 before i got out. i'm a logical person so that is a testimony to how strong my faith was, being that it took me so long to come to the terms that christianity is a lie.

Answer 3

I classify myself as an agnostic-atheist. i don't have self belief in a Theos-form own god, so as that makes me atheist. on a similar time, i do no longer declare to comprehend quite that no such god exists, so i'm agnostic. i'm familiar with the tenets of Islam. I even have study some Buddhist literature. i'm familiar with Judaism and paganism. yet i've got self belief that any form of 'supernatural' journey that persons have is able to being defined away by ability of naturalistic ability. If I even have some journey interior the destiny that's no longer explainable thusly, i visit reevaluate my place at that element. till then, i'm calling myself an atheist. although, that being pronounced, i've got self belief a undeniable affinity for recommendations the style of 'the soul' and 'eternity' and 'existence after loss of existence.' i'm merely no longer putting any genuine inventory in those recommendations on the instant.

Answer 4

Yep. Raised United Methodist.

Answer 5

I was Christian but I'm raised in a part Christian home and my mom took me to church when very long. I was never a very strong Christian. I stated doubting when I was 9 now I'm 13. Dropped the relgion 11

Answer 6

I kept practicing a religion (which I had been raised in), and they say practice makes perfect, but I never could get it right.

Eventually, I realized all those Bible stories don't add up -- No wonder I couldn't get it right.

Answer 7

I was baptised, raised Roman Catholic and denounced religion and followed Satanism, which is a way of life as opposed to religon. I was nine when I did this. I still am now.

Answer 8

I'm technically still a member of the United Methodist church I grew up in, although I stopped believing while very young.

Answer 9

I was a Christian until i was 15

Answer 10

I was a Mormon (born and raised in a small Utah town of 100% Mormons) before becoming an atheist. It was a long journey.