Quick poll. How long did you stay in the 'angry non-believer' stage after you realized you had been lied to all those years?
I was always a non-believer at heart but an opportunist. When I was young I use to hitchhike around a bit here in Australia and New Zealand looking for seasonal work. Sometimes I was totally broke and had to make use of the Salvation Army charitable food vouchers. It was made known to me that it would be nice (appreciated) that I attend the Sundays meetings which I did. Once I found work I quickly didn't attend those meetings anymore. Once (only once) I even offered to pay back the costs of the meal tickets in money once I was working but it was not accepted. (in a nice way) But they were never successful in converting me to their beliefs. I was always a 'free thinker'
None. I don't remember actually ever believing. My parents weren't religious, and when I went to a fundy church with my best friend for a while, it did zero for me.
I started doubting at an early age and when I came to the conclusion that there was no God I felt relief... I haven't had any anger over it.
I feel negativity when others denigrate me to my face about me being an atheist. I normally ask them does it make them feel better to attack others... 90% it shuts them up.
Learned the truth early but couldn't talk about it. Devastated by the betrayal of adults I'd trusted, laughed at for ever believing in the first place, and expected to lick my wounds in silence. Jesus and Santa Claus are two sides of the same terrible fantasy. Not sure I'm over it yet.
I remember believing in Santa Claus, not religion.
It felt like a 10 step program, lol. Never really bought into the story completely so i never got very angry. Over the years it grew to a point where I'd soap box at times. Still have moments but it eventually fades.
I'd left organized religion much earlier and was one of those irritating "spiritual but not religious" types for a while. Then one day I was driving and realized that even the scenario I had imagined was misogynistic. And poof I realized there was no god at all.
It was like a kid's final realization that Santa is just a story. No anger just a "well, huh" kind of moment.
In reply to 'any' non-belief of any of the hilarious fables: the tooth fairy, or Jeezuz-dude, who waves his magic wand and there are meals for the multitude- all a person has to do is ask the FIRST question (take your choice) ie, did Daniel get out of the hungry lions den? Ya- as Danielburger.
The only time it makes me angry is thinking about all the time a certain relative has squandered making themselves feel superior and pious all the while not being able to give a fraction of that time or energy to those closest who should take priority, then going on about how put out they are by their "duties" knowing we're non believers as if we'd be impressed. eyerolls
That and those in my FB list who are outright vicious hypocrites all the while posting Ewan mcgregor as jesus type memes.
I was more relieved than angry. My parents weren't involved in any church but it was always known to us that God was real. I grew up with friends and relatives in the Catholic Church and felt like an outsider, thinking that I wasn't pure enough and hoped God would not hold that against me. When I realized it wasn't real I gained confidence and no longer felt inferior to my piers.
Great question not sure if I was angry or frustrated for not figuring it out sooner.
About a year. After that, not so much -- I find that a lot of people who propagate religion genuinely think they're doing something good and have had good experiences in their churches. They aren't trying to steer people towards the abuses that get associated with religious institutions. Instead, I understand that they've found something that works for them in their lives and want to share it. These sorts of people, I'm not going to be mad at, provided they respect that other people feel differently and choose to live differently.
I was angry for a short while but not at the Catholic church but toward a charitable organization that I saw compounded a problem through their self serving ideas. I was volunteering for a C. church and left. Funny an admin. person on the staff took mu under her wing, so to speak, and helped me through the deconversion process. She notified me of a workshop hosted by a Danny Martin. He was a former Catholic Priest who teamed up with Mikael Gorbachov to form an organization called the Earth Charter. This showed me that there were some in the church working for something honest which lessened the anger. It wasn't until I read "The Arrogance of Humanism" by David Ehrenfeld that I vowed to become active in secular (and anti-anthropocentric) movements. I guess determination took the place of angry (anger is something I try to avoid - it can be counterproductive)