I don't think I ever became an atheist. I aways was but didn't know that my view on life, the universe and everything had a name. But I always knew that I was a humanist.

I was born.

I became an Athiest by reading the bible. It led me out of Christianity with it's absurd stories and in Hebrews chapter 6 it told me to mature, so I did! I've been trying to throw off the last vestiges of religion for about 25 years and I'm a much happier person without it. The Baptist church held me back from exploring who I really am as a gay man and I lost about 30 years of my life trying to live as someone that I'm not. As a church organist I saw the hypocrisy of people thought to be 'pillars' of the church and their stupid attempts of controlling other people. These fundamentalists are the most unpleasant people I've ever met, they lie and do not exhibit the love they talk so much about.

I was thrown out of the Baptist church because I wanted to follow a gay lifestyle. I had been an experienced organist with that organisation and was told that I would not be allowed to play the organ for church services again as I might affect the little children! It was the best thing that could have happened to me because it allowed me to stand one side and evaluate what I had been a part of. I have had other appointments as a church organist but I've made it quite clear as to my sexual preferences and I've not had a problem. At 73 I'm making up for lost time in following what is True to me.

I have been a nontheist as long as I can remember. Hypocrisy, prejudice, and obscure ideas were apparent to me always, within the church. One of first questions was where are the Dino’s in the Bible. Then where did the wives come from.

I know the exact moment I knew I’d never become a believer—when my mother explained why we weren’t Catholic anymore. She was kicked out of the church for divorcing my father. That’s the moment it clicked—this god didn’t care about my mother. If her god didn’t care about her, I sure the fuck wasn’t going to give him the time of day.

I learned at around 11 or 12. It happened fast like when I figured out the Santa Claus conspiracy. My mother dragged me to church and made me go to Sunday school class as usual where on that particular day our teacher for whatever reason really showed his ass. Before the class was over he had taken his shirt off screaming at us to look the hair on his chest and how real men pray to god. Scared the shit out me. When I got home I told my dad about what happened. As far back as I could remember my dad had never set foot in a church and after that day I never did either.

I grew up catholic. The catholics have this thing that they call a search weekend, which basically amounts to a four day long brainwashing session for kids in middle school. It's not "required", but a lot of parents ship their kids off to these things.

While you're there, they cover the windows, lock all the doors, and take all clocks and watches away. They tell you that they do it because you're on "god's time", but what it really amounts to is a psychological ploy to confuse your mind.

Throughout the four days you are there going through this lunacy, you are literally bombarded almost the whole time with catholic doctrine and massive guilt trips. The only time this is not going on is when they actually allow you to sleep, which is, of course, rare and sporadic.

They keep telling you throughout the whole ordeal that what you are going through is not brainwashing because.... get this.... "the Pope approves it".

I think that was really the turning point for me. I kept thinking to myself, if it smells like shit, looks like shit and tastes like shit, is it not still shit even if the Pope says it isn't?

Needless to say, I walked out of that four day weird fest unbrainwashed and far less of a catholic than I was when I walked in. That's when I learned how to put on a good show, because I was always afraid that if I didn't my parents would send me to another one of those damn things.

I was upset with the last church for disrespecting me and my questions. I had been a closeted atheist since I was 10-years-old. I just had to follow my families religion until I grew up and told them, "No more god shit!" My aunt still makes me pray when I go eat with her for a meal. My friend helped me understand what an atheist was. I knew I didn't believe in god. I didn't know more people like me were out there, until a year ago. All around me I'm surrounded by Christians. Work, home, and the general public. My city is the most religious city in the state. I stand alone at work as an atheist. There is one agnostic there though. The rest are all pious. Also, life tragedies that have happened, made me come to realize there is no god.

Being forced to go to Catholic church.

It took me a few years after I got serious about seeking God's will. The more I sought answers in the Bible and elsewhere, the less I believed. Finally there was nothing left.