Atheism at age 10?

[Excited Penguin]

Hey, the OP asked if there's anyone else here who started doubting as a child. I came here to tell you I never even believed in it. How cool am I?

[Alex K]

I was probably about 13 when I started clearly expressing (to myself at first, to everyone when puberty hit ) the conviction that the Christian God does not exist. Before that, I vaguely tried to believe in one and pray (though rarely) because I was brought up in a very mainstream protestant environment. I am not sure how much of a believer I really was, but I think before that age it simply didn't occur to me that the existence of God was something I could have my own opinion about. Christianity was so much taken for granted at least superficially by everyone around me that I didn't question it. I think important influences for me were my early fascination with technology, my dad's insistence that Hell was a made up story, and the science he explained to me as a child (he worked as a biology teacher). I think he told me about evolution and the big bang when I was about 10.

[Excited Penguin]

Jesus Christ, give me a break. I'm not allowed to tease? Wtf.

[Alex K]

Relax, pinguin!

[pocaracas]

I was around 10 when it hit me, too.
Mind you, before that, pretty much only my grandmother would try to get me to believe in the thing... everyone else just defaulted to silence about it.
I remember being in the car, and my dad had the radio on the news, as always... This was around 1990...
There was a news piece about something weird happening in some remote chinese place and they had cameras there filming it... and I thought "damn, they have cameras everywhere, nowadays".... then the click came, "you know what they say is everywhere, too? oh.... how come those two never met?".

Then I stayed quiet for 2 years... I thought everyone in the world was a believer in that non-sense and I was the sole person who knew something was up. Eventually, I found that there was such a thing as "atheist" and that some 20% of the world is atheist... so I relaxed a bit... life went on... and here I am...

[robvalue]

I can't remember if I welcomed you already. If not, welcome!

Nice work seeing through the web of deceit at age 10! I was lucky enough to never have to go through it, and it leaves me often wondering what the feeling must be like to finally see the world clearly. A big mix of emotions, I bet.

[abaris]

I didn't give it much thought, to be honest. Since I was brought up as a christmas and easter catholic, I never did care one way or the other. Can't say I was an atheist at age ten, but I certainly wasn't a devout christian either.

[pgrimes15]

I was just wondering if anyone had a similar experience.  I was a baptized Catholic and a believer until age 10. I was actually never told there was a Santa Claus (I figured it out by myself); however, the same logic that made me come to that conclusion was also the same logic that 6 or so months later gave me the chilling epiphany that the bible couldn't be real either.

Was anyone else a child that 'found' atheism by themselves (as opposed to your liberal parents just raising you as one)?

(Shall I be the first)

Welcome. My experience different. Never was a believer despite going to CofE school. Hardly any of my peers were either . . . . . just a minute . . . Santa? . . . what? . . . are you saying ? . . . where do you think your christmas presents come from? . . . . don't be so close minded, you need to open your heart to Santa and take a leap of faith.

[brewer]

13. Stopped believing when my parents and the church couldn't give me good answers to my questions regarding inconsistencies. When they finally resorted to "don't question, just have faith", "god is mysterious" and " because I said so (this from the youth pastor)" I decided it was time to go.

[robvalue]

I became an atheist at thirteen. With all the crap my friggen grandparents shoveled into my brain i'm glad i came up on top.
Never tell them bluntly just so you know. It's really bad.

Welcome to the forum!