some questions for former theists

[devire1]

1. What religion were you?
2. How did you become a theist?
3. How devout were you?
4. When did you're journey from theism to atheism begin?
5. How long did this journey last?
6. What led to this journey starting in the first place?


I'll go first.

I was raised a Roman Catholic. My parents were never very strict about religion. We tried to go to church every Sunday when I was younger, but less as I got older. They made me go to Sunday school, as well. Like most kids, I hated going to church, but when I was around 13-14, I began to like it, which was around the time that I was confirmed.

When I was taught about how the earth was created in seven days I believed it, but not in a literal way after a while. I thought, how could that be true if we had dinosaurs about 64 million years before humans. But I have always had a scientific mind, and when I was 11-12 I read about the big bang in an encyclopedia. I understood and accepted it as soon as I read it because it made a lot of sense to me, it was actually a life changing experience, as it changed the way I viewed the universe and the way it works. It didn't make me not believe in God, however. I actually believed that God caused the Big Bang ("Let there be Light" lol). Well, then in 9th grade I took accelerated biology and learned about evolution. I had heard about it before and the controversy surrounding it, which I thought was so silly of course, and I accepted that we did evolve and were not "created". Learning about this in accelerated biology only strengthened this belief. I still believed in God, and thought that he guided the process of evolution.

The school I went to, like most schools in the US, was mostly Christian. But, I had atleast 2 atheist freinds/acquatances(sp?) that I know of, and talked with another. Although I was not atheist at the time, I still accepted that they were atheist. By 10th grade, my main reason for still believing was pascal's wager. Eventually I became agnostic at around 12th grade, even though I still went to church very occasionally for the family. I guess you could possibly say I was agnostic at around 10th grade though, since my belief in God wasn't exactly authentic.

I call myself an atheist today, but I don't like the way people currently differentiate between atheists and agnostics. An atheist is just someone who lacks a religious belief in my book, not someone who outright denies the existance of a god or gods. There are, afterall, many religions that don't involve a god or gods.

[Dreamscapes]

Originally Posted by devire1

1. What religion were you?
2. How did you become a theist?
3. How devout were you?
4. When did you're journey from theism to atheism begin?
5. How long did this journey last?
6. What led to this journey starting in the first place?

1. Methodist.
2. Upbringing.
3. On a scale of 1-10? I dunno. I believed in the bible, but always had questions from an early age.
4. When I was in high school.
5. A few years.
6. Doubts.

[Big Hype]

Originally Posted by devire1

1. What religion were you?
2. How did you become a theist?
3. How devout were you?
4. When did you're journey from theism to atheism begin?
5. How long did this journey last?
6. What led to this journey starting in the first place?

1. Christian
2. Raised a theist
3. Define "devout."
4. Probably when I was 17 or 18.
5. It was a roller coaster ride, it went on for years until now.
6. The stupidity of Christian theology and the contradictions.

[devire1]

Originally Posted by Big Hype

1. Christian
2. Raised a theist
3. Define "devout."
4. Probably when I was 17 or 18.
5. It was a roller coaster ride, it went on for years until now.
6. The stupidity of Christian theology and the contradictions.

devout as in how often you practiced ur religion, like for christians how ofter u go to church, or pray stuff like that.

[Big Hype]

Originally Posted by devire1

devout as in how often you practiced ur religion, like for christians how ofter u go to church, or pray stuff like that.

I prayed every day, hour, etc.

But I didn't leave Christianity because I didn't get my prayers answered, I just left it because of the stupid contradictions and lack of proof. Pascal's Wager had an effect on me at first, but later I realized it was extremely flawed.

[devire1]

Originally Posted by Big Hype

I prayed every day, hour, etc.

every waking hour?

[nrellas]

1. Greek Orthodox Christian
2. Raised as one
3. Church every sunday, holy week, easter midnight services, sunday school the whole 9 yards.
4. Around 15/16
5. About 2 years, it is tough, it will last a while as people constantly attack my lack of belief.
6. I got tired of being lied to, but what lead me away from religion and science also was a realization of what they really are-answers to human questions. I feel that humans, most people would say it is because we are more evolved, are the only animal to ever question the world around us, as such I cannot honestly believe that any answer we come up with is true. We also cannot stop and accept that we do not know something, we either answer the question through saying god did it, or math and science come up with a suitable answer. I dont need lies, because in truth-I dont question the things that those two areas answer. In short I dont need to understand why if I drop a ball it falls to the ground, I know that when I drop it, it leaves my hand and falls to the ground-the fact that it happened is enough. That is why science and religion are meaningless to me.

[devire1]

Originally Posted by Big Hype

I prayed every day, hour, etc.

But I didn't leave Christianity because I didn't get my prayers answered, I just left it because of the stupid contradictions and lack of proof. Pascal's Wager had an effect on me at first, but later I realized it was extremely flawed.

yeah, somehow i don't think god would appreciate u believing in him just incase he exists.

[Big Hype]

Originally Posted by devire1

every waking hour?

Yes.

[tenthirtytwo]

Originally Posted by devire1

1. What religion were you?
2. How did you become a theist?
3. How devout were you?
4. When did you're journey from theism to atheism begin?
5. How long did this journey last?
6. What led to this journey starting in the first place?

1. Christian, Baptist.
2. Family.
3. Depends on the time...from slightly to vastly.
4. When I started seeking answers on my own (not trying to insult theists or sound arrogant, this is my honest answer).
5. A long time, several years. It went in stages, ranging from perhaps Christianity isn't quite right, to God exists but doesn't care about us, to finally accepting atheism.
6. I first asked "Why?" and it snowballed from there.