Look at it this way. If you were born on a small Pacific Island and never even heard the word religion, would you believe in God?

Beliefs don't have to be true for them to exist. I used to believe in Santa and now I don't. I hadn't always not believed in Santa just because he doesn't exist.

*Thought provoking thesis as to who Wee really are fundamentally all along; rather, than agree with the brilliant thesis tis worth an academic effort to set up some contrast via antithesis viz: religion is a set of false, naive beliefs forming a system predicated upon superstition...Religion is a subjective, infantile experience for those who can not tolerate mature uncertainty opposite to the educational pursuit of philosophy which requires an open, intelligent, critical mind desiring to go beyond the superficial and commonly found and seen in today's society and to get to the bottom of things; and philosophically & scientifically achieve a tentative, theoretical conception of reality only to be revised and improved by other's in improvement of the present reality model...The subjective experience of religion begins by brain washing or indoctrination by the religious fanatic or zealot - followed by suspension of "disbelief" similaire de ce calibre to that which occurs when reading a work of escape when the subject is washed away into a world of "fantasy" much like taking a drug that impairs the unwitting experimenter to contact with objective reality...Thus, if one can accept blindly the religious nonsense, at that point in time, she/he begins being a duped, religious compromised human being who may some day wake up from the dream and contemplate reality as a free thinking, critical person who enjoys Truth & Reality...qed.... ***Excellent thought provoking question by Anna, indeed...

We are all born atheists. Not believing in anything is the natural state. Only societal influence brings about the possibility of becoming religious.

We're all born atheists. Unfortunately, we are also born in societies that tell us what to believe as we grow up so it's a demographical crap shoot. We are born healthy and given a disease... it's up to us to find the cure.

Well, you have to be taught a religion. Once you are, becoming an atheist is a painful process, usually driven by a search for truth, is what I have observed.

When you're born you're an athiest. It's only when beliefs are impressioned that one believes. Usually most religious people don't believe in the hundreds of religions that there are in the world. So for those hundreds of beliefs...they are an athiest to

I remember distinctly being young and trying to be religious. To hear the word of God, fo understand it all...and when I was real with myself..absolutely nothing made sense or was tangible. As I grew, I realized I was not alone and it started to make more sense and I started to find the beauty in the world and people more than stories and ideologies

I think we are born just human. from infancy we have a need to be connected this inbuilt desire to trust and this is an area where faith comes from. the baby trusts that its needs will be met the and child knows and works out that when it cries its mother comes and feeds it. So Religion becomes the need fullfiller the quencher the mother the father you may not of had and this is why it is so popular but does it make it true?. I don't think we were born anything and certianly not athiest or religous, I like Human with a need to connect.

Confusing or not it means that you have realized something that others have not. The big question is why do they not see it? My answer is fear. Fear would take over all aspects of their lives to admit we are in this alone and nothing is supernatural.

Not necessarily!.
If we look at the 10 Commandments, as an example of religion, and discard the first four-since we are atheists, the remaining are guidelines towards a peaceful, non-hateful coexistence. This is not false but rather valid.
So, not ALL religion is false. Some of it might makes sense!

I think all folks, including myself, should make themselves available to change--

It's the nature of the 'beast'!
Child, adolescent adult, etc.

If someone wants absolutes, it seems it becomes a matter of doctrine; your choice.

All infants are agnostic or atheist. “Choose” or “free will” are highly subjective words that are highly debated as to their nature or affect... meaning, “do we really ever choose anything or are we slaves to determinism?

Now for a non philosophical answer.... In general, if we were raised atheist then it’s mostly because of how we were brought up, if we were brought up otherwise but later become atheist, then we chose athiesm. (Either are only general ideas... I don’t think this is a 1 size fits all question or answer)

Becoming an atheist is basically becoming EDUCATED to the fallacies inherent in all religions. Most religious beliefs are acquired in childhood and are likely to be based on the geography of where you were born: USA? Christian, or Catholic. India? Hindu or Buddhist. See?

I don't know if we are born atheist, but we are born innocent. And from then on a whole lot of effort goes into molding us to fit our family or society. Language, gender identity, social class and morality. Education and religion are two institutions that get results in molding minds. Other animals are born instinctively knowing how to use their social structure in ways that are beneficial to the , but humans seem a bit deficient in that respect. Education could function as a way to improve society, but we evidently need a bit more covincing from the fear of eternal damnation in order to cooperate. Religion can also be used to calm fears, assure us we are loved, and convince us to be kind. If someone remains in their beliefs out of need for comfort it is understandable, if not necessary.

Pretty simple.i believed my first few years because I was told to. Not in those words, I was just presented with no other options. There was not an internet or anything like it and I just thought everyone felt the same. As a young teen I started having serious doubts of any being capable of divine intervention when I was able to think for myself and see the world around me. Considered myself more of a deists for awhile, then agnostic. Then after the age of technology with a wealth of info and research at my fingertips went the rest of the way to atheist. So not so much a choice as just when I was able to see all the facts or lack of, it just made sense. No proof of divine existence, no reason to be a believer

My story began as natural understanding and after tragedies of upset without guidance caused me to actually allow control of my mind to be guided by beliefs of the strongest kind, more tragedy is caused me to understand that I must make the choice to live and you choose to do so in a way that I decided must never allow the confusion of truth were told and actual truth and have done so alone and without it being very personal choice I would most likely be without my own mind and hindered still as I had in the five-year period I was living for everyone but myself.

I've always labored under the idea that I was born Atheist and became Humanist by default.

Religion & atheism are choices. You either choose to believe in a God or you choose not to. I've been reading a lot of comments saying that babies are born atheist and I don't believe that to be true. I believe that you have to be aware of the concept of religion before you can either be for or against it. There is no default option in my opinion.

We are born as clean slates. You can become religious and accept any of the world's religions and be a sincere believer. But if there are no deities of any form, one could argue you're delusional. Waking up to that reality now means you're in touch with reality. But it is a choice either way. You must choose to look at the whole truth, partial truth, or no truth, and you must choose to accept it deny it. Whatever you pick just determines how rooted in reality you really are.

You choose between many directions ... These directions are not all true ... of which, only one is truth ... You have to read and search to realize the truth

I think there may be some truth behind that. Before I became an atheist. I didnt pray to god very often and when I did. I felt like I was talking to myself. I was always reading national geographic books. That often talked about evolution and I'm a huge George Carlin fan so yea, I was just didnt know it yet.lol

I still feel like this statement is invalid because you are Christian by believing you are one or by believing Christ is your savior versus just believing you are physically an alien. Christianity just requires an active belief which can't be examined physically while claims of being an alien can so I don't think those two things are equivalent in comparison, but you do choose to be an atheist just like you choose to be Buddhist (to an extent).

You combine the knowledge that you have with how you think life works which creates your life philosophy (or religion), but with any new knowledge or outlooks you can believe in a different religion and identify yourself within that religion. This means that you did identify or associate yourself within that religion regardless of a change of opinions at a later time or if the belief was disproven. Beliefs don't have to be true; they are only beliefs........ Sorry for running on...

I think you may be overthinking it a little. I imagine there exists many motivations for becoming an atheist. For me, I was 19 and in college and an Intro to Philosophy class got me thinking. I realized there was a bigger world and the old explanations just were not working. Need to change my paradigm. Voila! That was 45 years ago.

For others it may be the result of a bad experience that made them question their previous beliefs. Lots of reasons.