What made you an atheist?

[vorlon13]

Doesn't apply to me, but consider, Joseph Smith was SO BAD (how bad was he?) at cobbling together a 'plausible' religion, yet still has millions of adherents today, he  casts doubt on all other faiths too.

IOWs, Mormonism gives religion a bad name.

[drfuzzy]

Education.  Rational thought.  Science and reading took a SLOW 25+ years to seep into my little fundie brainwashed brain, but I finally woke up, looked around, and said "wow what a bunch of bullshit".

[Simon Moon]

Doesn't apply to me, but consider, Joseph Smith was SO BAD (how bad was he?) at cobbling together a 'plausible' religion, yet still has millions of adherents today, he  casts doubt on all other faiths too.

IOWs, Mormonism gives religion a bad name.

If the question does not apply to you, which god do you believe exists?

[vorlon13]

No, the horny Joe thing I came up with afterwards. Dint know nuttin' bout no fookin' mormons till long after I saw the light, er, failed to see the light.

[snicker]

[Mystic]

There is of course one's own perspective and then there is God's knowledge of why people are Atheists.  In my perspective, although I don't think people are stating anything they don't believe, just like Atheists don't believe Theists when they say "we can discern the reality of God's light and see his existence", but believe they have other reasons in why they believe in God, I believe the following reasons, they are all true for some while for others only some apply:

1. Ignorance of what one recognizes inwardly due to various reasons but still acts on those recognitions in real life.
2. Not recognizing the sword of God in the soul among many swords, many false swords, and failing to thereby recognize one's true self. In short one sees the light, but can't distinguish it from false perceptions and falsehoods, and takes the falsehood as the way, instead of the way that leads to God and is from God and towards God.  
3. They know God can be known and how but aren't willing to take that leap of vision and testify in the souls. 
4. No effort to not listen the whispers of the dark one and number 1 enemy of humanity and his forces, and going into automatic mode of simply believing everything it and his forces whisper to them.
5.  Unwilling or unable to acknowledge that the living essence of one self, that is not just an experience created by a biological forces, but is a real living reality, while to deny that is to deny a vision we all have of ourselves.
6. Denying all metaphysical knowledge that points to the divine, demanding proofs for things we are ingrained with knowledge of.
7. Not being convinced by some logical sound arguments that remind of God not because one really disbelieves in any of the premises that lead to the conclusion, but simply doesn't accept the conclusion, and hence denies all the premises leading to it.
8. Never deeply thinks about the reality they are linked to and that they constantly see and become hard hearted towards that remembrance despite it being there with them, inside of them.
9. Unwilling or unable to acknowledge the signs in the soul that point to the divine and speak of an eternal source.
10. Covering one's ears from words of God in the soul and spoken by a tree of paradise that extends to all things, and light of his face that encompasses.
11. The light of sincerity towards God has been dimmed in the soul due their actions being for other then God, and hence, one cannot see the servants of God they were meant to be, and the beauty and honour that lied in sincerely testifying to him.
12. Arrogance destroys the earth of God by which all things grow, and any water descending on it doesn't produce vegetation.

Again not saying all of these apply to everyone, but these are among the reasons I believe that make up why Atheists are Atheist.

In my opinion has nothing to do with God not being manifest or too hidden.  He is both manifest and hidden, he is manifestly concealed, is the sense that his manifestation points to his ultimate self being beyond vision. Yet the signs all are so linked to God, that God is the light of all light, and what gives everything it's creation and guides it to it's goal.

[AFTT47]

A combination of not being indoctrinated too badly and natural skepticism. Somewhere around 12 I realized God was no different than Santa Clause.

[Reforged]

Unwillingly. It was a transition that took several years. In a nutshell; I realized Catholicism was bullshit, looked at other religions and they were bullshit too. Landed on Buddhism, dug deeper to find the bullshit under the polish and then I became an atheist.

I see loads of atheists going about with chirpy optimism. I don't really get that.
At first I drank the whole "live life to the fullest cool aid" but that only works if you are in the privileged position of being one of the lucky people who have the opportunity to do that. Most of us can't and alot of the people who can won't. I suppose I've become abit more nihilistic with my approach ingeneral. Given the size of the planet I am a speck, the planet is a speck to the universe and the universe is a speck to the multiverse. If the multiverse theory holds true that is, if it does it would essentially make my choices, my life and my death utterly meaningless. I don't really have much control over who I am or what I do and even if I did nothing I do particularly matters in the scheme of things.
I would like to become a geneticist. It would give me pleasure to spend my days unraveling the genome and mastering its secrets to elevate humanity... and possibly halt the aging process. Its bewilders me there isn't a massive push for this type of research by... well, everyone.

[SteelCurtain]

It never made a lick of sense to me. I've always had an analytical mind, I took in what the adults were telling me and discarded what I couldn't reconcile. No one could give me good answers to the questions I had. At best I was given vague non-answers or redirections to avoid answers.

My though process was always, if it is so obvious, so clear that a god exists and that the one that exists is the one described in the Bible, then why is it so hard to relay concisely or even answer the most basic questions.

When I was old enough to do my own research, I discovered the history of the Church and the history of Christianity, as well as the scientific principles that invalidate the creation story. I also discovered the terrible ideas about society and people, and I resolved that the whole of it is just one huge farce perpetuated by tradition.

[robvalue]

This is one of my mottos:

I was born an atheist. Reality keeps me being an atheist.

Being an atheist is not a choice. It's a reaction to reality.

Not having anything to do with religion, and using the scientific method to learn about reality, are choices. Ones I am happy to defend.

[Athene]

A sad self-confession:
"You know this can't be true; admit it. You're lying to yourself. Stop it."

*condensed version*