Well, I think most atheists who were brough up to be religious experience a logn period of doubt before they cross over to being atheist.

For me though, once I crossed teh lien to atheism, I'v ehad no regrets and no desire to go back.

no. no troul0le at all

Not for a minute.

NO, I did not have trouble. I decided at about age 16 to mentally throw out all the beliefs that had entered my mind without my having considered them carefully. Then I would only accept those beliefs that I had examined thoroughly. REligion never made it past that screening. But I tried to keep an open mind in part because religion was so pervasive. What could I be missing, I wondered. What really made it easy to reject religion was when I read about how there is a scientific and evolutionary explanation for why so many people are hard wired to believe. Once I understand that I had no hesitation. I am that way with most things where I reject the conventional wisdom. I need to check two Boxes. Why am I right, and why do other people believe something that I have disproven to myself.

Hi.. I was born atheist, so my trouble came trying to accept "belief" in religion and I've failed miserably.

I was a lemming for years, as I so wanted to believe. But I kept asking the same question, “where is god, why so much suffering and pain.” I began to see religion as a crutch and belonging to tribe that is hypocritical and lacks the understanding and proactive of brotherly love.

Not at all I think I may have been a non believer most of my life. In my early days I was always scheptical of the Catholic beliefs. As I got older and learned more it started making absolutely no sense at all. I studied more science then put the pieces together finding out it is the way life happens.

Nope

No. Not really. For me, it happened over a long period of time.

Not at all. I had the impression it was something i needed for too long.

I struggled for a long time with trying to force myself to believe. I was always skeptical about religion and always asked questions. I became even more skeptical when I was met with the standard "you shouldn't question God" response. I find it much easier to accept my lack of belief than I ever did accepting a belief itself.

No, I went to a very liberal church or it would have come out earlier. Church was fun but the preaching was laughable. If I hadn't attended church as a child, I may have been able to get into religion as an adult. We'll never know.

Not really. My unbelief was a long process. I let go a little at a time, or I should say I lost a little at a time... eventually I just realized I didn't believe in God anymore, that I was just kind of going through the motions... once I came to that realization I "came out" as an atheist.

...sense of relief as in returning to
the family of """Humanity"""
Also I didn't want to abandon others
to their plight; a trifold dilemma with
untold amounts of variables.Reality
is a peace"Everything Beauty" Group I like to share!

Not that l remember. It was some 50 years ago, maybe more.

No.
I was brought up Lutheran. I moved into athiesm gradually by simply not attending church for some time*. When I thought of what the Bible "taught" us versus what we know through science and common observation, it was easy to make the logical and rational transition.

• It is said that the mind, on its own, will convert to athiesm. It's the reinforcement of "worship" every week, or more, that teaches/brainwashes us into believing ideas that are contradictory to logic, experience and common sense.

not even a little bit.

g

No, I accept truth and the ability to think for oneself.

Absolutely not, I accept the truth wherever it may lead.the way I see it if anybody should have trouble accepting anything it's easiest having faith that an imaginary being is lurking in the sky somewhere on faith which by the way is blind by definition and totally dishonest because it asserts what is true which is evidently not true.

Not at all. I was raised Roman Catholic and even had to attend many masses in Latin at my Italian grandmothers old school church when I was a child. I never believed so it was easy for me. I think the hardest part was when I realized in my late teens that some people really, truly, believed in god. I think as a child I thought everyone was all pretending. To me, religion and belief in god is a socially acceptable delusion so I am glad that I see the world with clarity and base my decision on reality and always have felt that way.

I realized religion was all make-believe when I was 8. I know I felt lucky having parents who didn't want to force me to share their beliefs.

Not at all ..having been brought up Roman Catholic.

Not really. Deep down I knew I didn't believe so I guess it was just a matter of admitting it to myself. And once I did, I've never thought twice about it.

No, for me it was a long process from the doubt of my leader, to doubt the institution, to doubt the accuracy of scriptures, then the religion itself.
In the middle, moving around and loosing the emotional reinforcement of the cults and community.
In the end was very natural when I realized that I was atheist.
And even going steps ahead as Agnostig or Ignostic, where the concept of god becomes irrelevant or even a concept that can't be discussed because there is no good definition for it.

I'm 2 days post . I have what I identify as a sort of emotional hole left, however its just kinda there. I'm not exactly concerned about it. Its actually a relief almost "irrigating an infected wound." I think my struggle was more so hating myself for being so smart and "self-inflicting" utterly ridiculous drivel.