Well, nothing happened. After a while of hearing the idiots promising that prayers would work and god would reveal himself etc, it became obvious that they were full of shit.

Also, I grew up around a few Muslims and Jews so it quickly dawned on me that all these religions were claiming absolute truth right in the face of each other, which would only be possible in a world where the term "god" has no other meaning than "my invisible best friend".

When I was around 9 growing up in a very poor country I prayed a lot for miracles, but nothing happen. I thought to myself if I was a god I wouldn't let anything horible happen to people. God's supposed to help people! Now as an adult I do see the psychological reason why some people need religion.

I grew up and got the courage to be honest. Same way I grew out of believing in Santa. It takes less courage, though, to admit you no longer believe in Santa.

I was in vacation bible school (VBS), getting glared at for asking questions. It wasn't because I was being stupid, it was because they didn't know the answers. After my third worthless VBS diploma, I realized might as well skip church. It was all a dog and pony show.

Anyone ever put a VBS diploma on the CV? If you don't snore loudly, they'll give you a VBS. Almost like my high school diploma which at least had better looking female classmates.

I was sent to church every Sunday as a child (so parents could have a few hours 'alone'. When I was 7 or 8 the vicar put out the usual plea for more money and I realised he was driving a big rover car, while most people walked, bicycled or caught a bus - that was when I started questioning morality of the church. Which led me to question war, poverty and so much more.

I've never believed. My parents sent my brother and me to Sunday school for a few months, but didn't attend church themselves and didn't force the issue when we quit going. Everything that they taught about the bible seemed silly. Later, when I read the bible on my own, it went from silly to absurd.

Incidentally, I figured out later that several months after we quit attending church, we got a baby sister.

I was suddenly dumbfounded by reality and logic, I never looked back.

I was very religious as a child until 8 to 9 years.

Although one incident of a swami fooling me in my teen years overseas pushed me over the edge, I was slowly getting disillusioned over 20 years with excesses, misuse of faith to lie, fool people, abuses of women, children and not one religious head of any place every impressing culminated into my decision to quit 40 years ago. The thing that irked me the most is all scriptures were still recited in Sanskrit, no advice or interpretations were ever given in local languages at religious functions at home or outside. No one understood what the priests were chanting and most priests did not know all that they were chanting. And you were no allowed to asked questions. I said, it was not making sense, no one understood it, it was not doing me any good - so what the ffff was I doing it? I decided to go cold turkey one day. All stopped one fine morning.

However, quitting was rather easy because my family never insisted that we followed religious traditions or chores. Their focus was on academic performance and rules of behavior. So we had clarity. Religion was never talked at home and I suppose they did not oppose openly just to fit into a very religious society. In other words, avoid being social outcasts.

Thanks to the ugly faces of religion showing up world wide since, it is only validating that it was the best decision I ever made.

While in the 2nd grade, I was pushed into going to Vacation Bible School in the summer. I was sitting at a table with a bunch of kids, coloring pictures of Jezus doing miracles or something. The Chairman of the Board of Deacons, a fat old guy, came in and walked around the room inspecting our work. He stopped behind the cute little girl sitting beside me, and he complimented her work while sliding his hand into her panties. Even at the age of 6, I knew there was something wrong with that.

Nothing significant, really. I just got older and realized that I never truly believed what I was taught as a kid.

I never paid much attention in church and even though I was in Calvinettes, or Gems, or whatever the fuck they call it now, I didn't really participate beyond minimum requirement. I was also baptized when I was a baby, so it had zero meaning to me.

I remember my neighborhood offering a bible class for kids in the summer and I went, but really only because my friends went and we did crafts and I was all about crafts. They made each kid individually and privately "give themselves over to God" or some bullshit. I always lied and said that I already did it.

When I was 11, my parents got divorced and we stopped going to church. I was completely indifferent to it either way, but now I'm glad that I got out of it at an early enough age to be able to form my own opinion about religion

Welcome to the asylum. Enjoy your stay.

Nothing "happened". I was born an atheist, just like everyone else is.
Indoctrination simply didn't take with me.
I always knew I was being lied to.

Nothing

I knew so little about religion I thought atheist was another one since I must've seen it as a multiple choice option on some form. Then I got laid off seasonally and was so bored all winter I considered going to church to meet people, then I learned they actually believe that shit and it wasn't just a place to hang out and pay "lip service". Thats why I'm here cause there's no place to meet anyone when you don't drink or participate in the mass delusion of religion.

It was simple. I got smarter over time.

Facts

No one thing turned me. The Whlole Religious Schtick defies Logic.

I was spared religious indoctrination by parents who kept their beliefs, such as they might have been, to themselves. We had to go to church on Sundays but I now think that was so my parents could have time without the 3 girls around. Mon always just dropped us off at the door . It never made sense and I quit going at around age 11 or 12.

The "sacrament" of confession. That I needed to tell some guy in a dark room how many times I rubbed one of out I'd go to hell , that made the adolescent me start to reconsider the nature of sin, and once you pull that first thread it all starts to unravel. It all came together when I heard this answer from a personal hero of mine, Linus Pauling. They asked him what he believes, he said "I believe that all complicated phenomena can be explained using simple scientific principles." That resonated with me, and still does 45 years later.

Well, a lot of bad stuff has happened to me. I used to pray for good things and happiness and NOT ONE prayer was ever answered. When my girlfriend committed suicide no god came down to comfort me, and neither did my asshole family full of believers. There's no god, angels, devil, demons, etc. There is this planet circling that sun and our asses are just along for the ride.

I'm a born atheist.

The more I read about religions the less any of it made sense.

I've always been agnostic, questioning religion but working in a church for eight years really opened my eyes to the business side of religion. I saw people misuse funds in a very selfish manner. It really made me wonder why I gave money tithe church. These people didn't live up to their own teachings. They were so judgemental and pious . Such egos.this really made me leave the church, even though it was my home. Once I left, I realized all religions are the same. Institutions of control. I do not wish to be controlled. It's all a fairy tale. I live for this life.

Nothing definitive....just eased into it...

Logic slowly took over the intellectual hoops I saw to justify wishful thinking (There's an omniscient being who knows all and cares about all of us... Except some people who suffer through horrific events as part of some grand plan) :/

Religion!