Atheist from south Florida (USA)
April 23, 2012 at 12:11 am
(This post was last modified: April 23, 2012 at 12:20 am by Miami_Marlins_fan.)
Hello. My name is Ozzie. I've been wanting to join an active atheism forum for quite a while. I was born into a family that was a mix of Catholicism and Baptist. I have been an atheist since I was 14 years old, when I realized that I could no longer believe the stories in the Bible. The more I read them, the more my belief in God weakened. I could not believe that there could be a God so evil as to command his followers to commit incest, genocide, and condone slavery.
I told my parents that I was an atheist when I turned 21. Initially they accused me of being possessed by the devil, and refused to acknowledge that I was an atheist. Then they accused me of being a Satan worshiper, and finally they blamed by college professors of brainwashing me. After 6 years of being "out of the closet" they finally accepted that I don't believe in God, and that I am still the son that they've always know and love (and not some evil Satan worshiper.)
I tell most people that I am agnostic, since they don't know what that means and thinks it is some sort of religion. However, most of the people whom I've told that I am an atheist have reacted with horror. It cost me a few friendships, but those who still are my friends have finally accepted that I am atheist.
I am a lawyer by trade, and like my user name suggests, an avid Miami Marlins fan. Being a fan of one of the most unpredictable and colorful baseball teams there is, takes a lot of patience and commitment. But go Fish! Marlins are #1
Anyway, sorry for making my introduction so long, but I wanted to give you all a little background story about me.
I told my parents that I was an atheist when I turned 21. Initially they accused me of being possessed by the devil, and refused to acknowledge that I was an atheist. Then they accused me of being a Satan worshiper, and finally they blamed by college professors of brainwashing me. After 6 years of being "out of the closet" they finally accepted that I don't believe in God, and that I am still the son that they've always know and love (and not some evil Satan worshiper.)
I tell most people that I am agnostic, since they don't know what that means and thinks it is some sort of religion. However, most of the people whom I've told that I am an atheist have reacted with horror. It cost me a few friendships, but those who still are my friends have finally accepted that I am atheist.
I am a lawyer by trade, and like my user name suggests, an avid Miami Marlins fan. Being a fan of one of the most unpredictable and colorful baseball teams there is, takes a lot of patience and commitment. But go Fish! Marlins are #1
Anyway, sorry for making my introduction so long, but I wanted to give you all a little background story about me.