I went to a catholic private grammar school... and an all girl catholic high school...so, creative thinking skills kicked in in sophomore year... and it was over.... especially after a particularly disturbing sermon asking for more money by a priest that looked like a sow, and wore a toupee. My mom got her money's worth after all!! ??

Because no just god could allow the same question to be posted so frequently.
And, welcome, of course.

I was born as atheist

I was born this way

To quote one of my heroes "Faith is the excuse used to justify a position when there isn't any evidence" (Matt Dillahunty). To be expected to believe in a sky daddy that will punish you forever for not believing in something for which there is no evidence at all is ludicrous.

I was never baptized and never really made to go to church ( A couple times as a child but only because my grandparents were watching me and that’s where they were going ) but religion and specifically Christianity were always around me. My stepmother turned into a bible thumper soon after my brother was born. I was 14. My mother turned super religious while battling alcoholism in my late teens. Also, being a voracious reader, I had read the Bible in my early 20s, just to say I had read it. But in my late 20s I thought I was in Love with a hard-core born-again Christian. for three months I sincerely tried to believe the way she did. It didn’t work out needless to say. I realized how much shame and guilt and low self-esteem are a major part of believing in this stuff. And also the rejection of reason. Also the blind faith in utterly ridiculous notions. I went from agnostic to atheist in my early 30s.

I was adopted by my grandparents, one a southern baptist, the other a Mormon. I would try to go to vacation bible school, just for something to do as a kid, and they would get pissed off if it wasn’t their church. When I became a teenager I met my father, he was a Johova’s Witness like his father. My mother was always in and out of my life and her religion was like my grandmother’s, but more convenient. Well the only things they had in common was they loved to make fun of each other’s religion, they were each the only right one when it came to “knowing”, and they all had been married and divorced over and over. It’s the followers of religion that do it for me. The hypocrisy and righteousness, they can keep it, all of them.

Two sets of encyclopedias we had in the house when I was growing up. I spent a lot of time reading through them. I'm pretty sure that sparked my critical thinking and curiosity about the world. The juxtaposition of that with my family's hard core Evangelical faith made it pretty clear for me.

Also... heavy metal and weed in junior high chased Sky Jesus away.

I was skeptical from the beginning, and the more and more i knew about universe, religion and bible the less i believed.

Anyone know how to edit our posts? I just noticed mine is full of errors.

Because through out history, Religion has caused nothing but pain and suffering.

Belief is irrational when held for any other purpose than to avoid cognitive overload during a normal day. Even the moderately curious human being will realize soon that there is only one rational position to hold. Believe nothing other than the mundane (explanation available on request). Accept nothing without sufficient supporting objective evidence and when one does accept anything, one should always allow for the future possibility that it may be wrong. Think critically about and question all things.

Participating in a war.

Nothing. It’s the default position.

Child rape. I was Roman Catholic for years. I could accept all the bullshit fairy tales, but then when the child molestation cover up happened,,, I said, "wait!,,, talking ? Snake, Noah's arch, 6,000 year old earth, walking on water, virgin birth"... All bullshit!

Every religion seems to be a business, some obvious and some more subtle. I was raised in the Roman Catholic religion, one of the worse. When I visited Rome, I went to Vatican City State. While their art was truly beautiful ... I was struck by the fact that, if they were REALLY Christians, they could use their opulent wealth to end poverty worldwide. The gold in and on St. Peter's Basilica, stolen in wars centuries ago, alone could help millions of people.

I credit my parents’ decision not to indoctrinate me into a belief system with the the way I think today. Moreover, negative experiences with children who belonged to a faith (Christianity, in particular) when I was young made me question the self-righteousness of orthodox religions.

Consequently, having studied religion as an adult (just to get into their headspace and to understand the psychological aspects of why one chooses to invest everything in fantastic and highly-improbable claims and scenarios), I could never become a bot.

Lack of evidence, suffering of people,impedes human progress.psychological damage blind faith,

No one is made atheist or agnostic. We're all born atheist. People are made religious through brainwashing and indoctrination. I was brought up as a southern baptist. I knew from my early teens it was bullshit but I was still forced to go to church.

When I was able to admit he was a hateful asshole (god), nonbelief came easily.

When I was young I didn't give it any thought so I can't say that I was a believer but as I got into my teens and started thinking about it I found that it made no sense.

God fails me and many others, ignoring injustice, and allowing suffering of many while few live in opulence.
If he/she/they are/is real they are not worth worshipping, but logically deities are just not practical to believe in for any reason.

Being raised evangelical!

Brought up Catholic and have always struggled with my faith. Finally light bulb moment, its because I don't believe. I did not turn into a pillar of salt or had lightening strike me. I felf free; sort of what it must feel like a gay person coming out of the closet. I'm looking for a group that may believe in a higher power, but not all the "stories."

My mother and father by the act of procreation.