(April 21, 2014 at 12:31 am)Allnewoutlook Wrote: Hi, I'm an atheist from a small town in Ohio. I'm 13 and am very new to the whole online forum idea. I have read posts on this site for some time and would also like to have my story told.
I grew up in a catholic household but my parents are fairly lenient when it comes to religion. We went to a Methodist church for a while when I was little but we eventually left. I guess it became too hard to fit in our schedule. I never really got religion. My parents read me the children's bible but all I got from it was a bunch of colorful stories that made no sense.
Eventually, I caught on but still didn't care. Then I started going to public school. I'm a fairly smart kid and so I got through class easily and suddenly had loads of time to study much more complex things (evolution, anthropology, etc.) I started to realize around the age of 10 it was all total crap (religion was) and I deconverted.
My parents have no idea though. They probably would be shocked and send me to bible camp or something. At school, most people don't know except for a small group of friends. I did manage to convince one to join the "dark side" and become an atheist. We have very spirited discussions of religion and the total garbage it implies.
I will say one thing. Despite ignorance having kept most things the same, religious holidays are awkward when I say grace. I try to say it fast and meaningless. Anyway, I'm glad to see I'm not alone and there are others out there who go through similar stuff. Thanks.
Welcome. You seem to have the same attitude towards religion I had when I became an atheist at the same age (13)
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you