Why are you your religion/an atheist?

[Deimos]

I was brought up Christian, and was quite involved with the religion until I was about 22 years old (I'm now 26). I went to church every week with my family (until I moved away to university, at least, but would still go in the summers), I took bible study classes, I was a counselor/teacher at a Christian summer camp for about 5 years, I went to Christian conferences, etc. But a few years ago (I have no idea what initially triggered it) I started really thinking about why I believed all this stuff. And I couldn't come up with anything.

After a lot more consideration into it, I decided that there really was no evidence or reason for me to believe it, and my status changed to being "agnostic", but very heavily atheist. Side-note here: I can probably be considered a "full atheist", but it's not like I'm not willing to change my stance if some actual evidence of God's existence suddenly shows up. I'm not totally sure that there isn't a god, but that's only because it's impossible to ever be sure of the non-existence of something.

A while after this, my mother found out that I no longer considered myself Christian, and we got in a lengthy debate (through email) over religion. The reading and research I did during this argument really only solidified things for me. It all just doesn't make sense to me any more.

Here's a quote that I like, and an image that more or less sums up my feelings on the matter:

I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

http://miscellanea.wellingtongrey.ne...e-vs-faith.png

[Tempyst]

I believe in whatever the semantics police would classify as not caring because why waste time arguing for hours on the internet over something you don't even believe in

It's like going on a one man crusade over how the easter bunny doesn't exist and spending all your time trying to prove to people who believe in the easter bunny that he doesn't exist, I mean really now there are better uses of your time, like beating your head against a brick wall

[Dimmauk]

I believe in whatever the semantics police would classify as not caring because why waste time arguing for hours on the internet over something you don't even believe in

It's like going on a one man crusade over how the easter bunny doesn't exist and spending all your time trying to prove to people who believe in the easter bunny that he doesn't exist, I mean really now there are better uses of your time, like beating your head against a brick wall

Wait a sec....are you saying the Easter Bunny does NOT exist? WTF?!

My mind is now blown.

[Tempyst]

Wait a sec....are you saying the Easter Bunny does NOT exist? WTF?!

My mind is now blown.

and good for the people who believe in it, they seem to get a nice charge out of it and they get baskets full of candy so why should I try to rain on their parade

[Ruiner]

Why aren't these two the same?

Careful thought led me to the most sensible or logical conclusion.
I'm agnostic atheist, agnostic theist, or a middle-ground agnostic.

This, mostly. I've just never seen any real reason to believe, honestly. The rational aspect combined with the fact that I've never felt anything emotionally having to do with spirituality or God makes me a non-believer. However, I would be open to the possibility if anyone were able to show me some evidence.

[Cesaria]

I got turned off Catholicism by their education system. Went through it and was subjected to horrible bullying by teachers and pupils (and teachers didn't stop it at all), then ended up working in a Catholic school where the staff who were outwardly the most holy and religious were the nastiest set of backstabbers going.

Decided I wanted naff all to do with a religion where all I'd seen from many of its proponents was hypocrisy and unpleasantness toward their fellow human being and stayed the hell well away from then on.

I go through phases of thinking there's got to be someone out there, then see people having such an incredible hard time, going through horrific suffering and the like and getting trodden down and down and down and think that, despite all the sermons and shit I had to listen to in church and at school, if there was some supreme being out there who cared for us like a father etc etc etc... they'd cut some of these people a fucking break and quit piling the shit onto them at some point. So basically I don't know - but I've got naff all tolerance for organized religion or people seeking to convert me.

[Dareus]

I don't follow any religion, I kinda just took some of the ideas from a few of them and made my own moral rules. I live my life the way I think a human should, and I don't need a man with big robes/hair/hat to tell me what to do or not to do. My parents raised me as a Christian, but after I made my confirmation the decision to be religious or not was left up to me.
Something had to start everything, and that something could not have just happened. I think that logically leads to "god" or whatever you would like to call it. I don't believe that hellfire and brimstone will rain down upon you if you don't eat your veggies, but I think there are things out there outside the scope of humanity.

[Rammses]

It fits my personal style to vote for the It fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do so it fits my personal style to vote for the It fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do so it fits my personal style to vote for the It fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do so it fits my personal style to vote for the It fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do so it fits my personal style to vote for the It carrot fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do so it fits my personal style to vote for the It fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do.

Also religion.

[Khamsin]

It fits my personal style to vote for the It fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do so it fits my personal style to vote for the It fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do so it fits my personal style to vote for the It fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do so it fits my personal style to vote for the It fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do so it fits my personal style to vote for the It carrot fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do so it fits my personal style to vote for the It fits my personal style. It's trendy/edgy/different/cool.-option because I find joke voting on internet polls a trendy/edgy/different/cool thing to do.

Also religion.

Why do I have a sudden craving for vegetables?

[Obev]

I was raised in a Catholic household. Church on Sunday, all the sacraments, whatever. I even got confirmed. My grandparents on my mother's side were Irish immigrants, and were (or still are, in my grandmother's case) incredibly religious. My grandmother's 93, and until a few years ago she used to go to church at least four times a week, and prays almost constantly. My parents were less religious. Since they divorced, my father doesn't go to church any more, but my mother despite her relatively scientific outlook on life (she's a pharmacist) still goes to church and is "active in the community."

I stopped ticking the box marked "Catholic" when I was about fifteen. Not because I found Darwin's beard to be more impressive than Jesus's, or any scientific refutation of religion, but because of the atrocities committed in religion's name. Being a voracious reader, I devoured history books. The Catholic Church is not a nice organisation. When you abandon a religion however, you don't abandon the concept of "god." That took about another couple of years. Even if you take Rome to be the absolute nadir of "how to run a religion," the alternatives aren't much better. I figured "maybe humans are just shit at interpreting divine messages," but given the heights to which our culture has climbed I found that I had more faith in humanity's ability to govern themselves than in any divine interference.

I didn't so much lose my faith as keep dropping it. Every time I picked it back up it was a little more soiled. Eventually I just threw it away.

I'm not even sure I had "true" faith: I never felt I had a personal relationship with the divine, or felt that my prayers were answered. I just felt "there must be a god - there must be - I've always been told there was." The Catholicism was less a religion and more a social background. Go to mass. Confess sins. Feel guilty. Repeat. Despite throwing religion out liek the dirty rag it is, I've somehow reached a stage of meta-Catholicism, where I feel guilty without having confessed sins, or having committed them, or even believing in the concept of sin. Bloody Irish Catholicism.

Frankly there's no real way to stop being Catholic. Even not believing in god isn't regarded as sufficient reason to get yourself out of the Catholic Church. You'd think it'd be fairly fundamental to the whole thing, but no! Catholicism is the stickiest, most adhesive religion in the world. There's no website where you can de-register online. You can't cut up your membership cards in front of a priest and say 'fuck you, I'm outta here.' You could join the Taleban, and you'd merely be regarded as a bad Catholic.

[Darus Grey]

Last option, I don't give it much thought. I assume god doesn't exist, but even if he did, I wouldn't care, cause I wouldn't worship him anyways.

[Ruiner]

Not because I found Darwin's beard to be more impressive than Jesus's

It is, though. Truth.

[Obev]

It is, though. Truth.

Oh yeah, but if we went around picking religions based on facial hair we'd all be worshipping ZZ Top.

[Gunitsoldier]

Was raised as jehovah's witness, then I growed a mind of my own and realised I should gtfo.

Atheist gogo

[Ivve]

Stuff.

All of this dude's replies have been gold. This thread must continue to bring forth more gems.

I voted agnostic. Even though I believe it's entirely possible there is a deity of some sort and I would not be uncomfortable finding one that most closely fits my beliefs about life, the people who follow religions are what turn me off completely. It seems like being a part of any organized church or belief system comes with a lot of very human restrictions, obligations, and especially politics.

I was raised by Catholics and my parents forced me to go through with confirmation (which is a rite of passage that's supposed to be voluntary) even though I let them know that really wasn't the right decision for me. It seems like most people are just working to indoctrinate you for personal reasons, and most of the time that reason is to make themselves feel good about saving another wretched soul/doing God's work. It's never really about what's right for you, though; it's about how they can sell it to you to make you buy it. I've never had someone go, "Actually I don't think our system of beliefs is really a good fit for you, but I can get you some information on something else." I find that repulsive.

[Olo401]

To paraphrase a Marilyn Manson shirt I saw once, because God/Allah/whateverhisnamemaybe is the #1 reason for war and murder around the globe for the past 3000 years.

[Tempyst]

Oh yeah, but if we went around picking religions based on facial hair we'd all be worshipping ZZ Top.

Changing my answer to "I worship ZZ Top"

[Aurara]

To paraphrase a Marilyn Manson shirt I saw once, because God/Allah/whateverhisnamemaybe is the #1 reason for war and murder around the globe for the past 3000 years.

this is probably the reason im Atheist. cant stand religion for those reasons and a few more..

[Tempyst]

I bet that guy wearing the marilyn manson shirt was a p. cool dude

I'd back up all my personal beliefs with an argument based on a t-shirt that said something I don't exactly remember if I knew that cool dude too

[Olo401]

I bet that guy wearing the marilyn manson shirt was a p. cool dude

I'd back up all my personal beliefs with an argument based on a t-shirt that said something I don't exactly remember if I knew that cool dude too

Actually I kinda lost track of him about 10 years ago.. I think he mighta gotten a bit too much into the bottle.

But don't let that be a commentary on Marilyn Manson's music.