What made you become an atheist?

[Clueless Morgan]

There is a heaven for us after death yes?

Well is there a heaven for dogs? Ants? Cats? Tigers? You get the picture....

What about theists who believe that all animals go to heaven, too? The mormon I'm in contact with says that this is what she believes, even concedes that she believes is because it's "just too beautiful not to believe in." (i.e. she doesn't have a good reason to believe it, she just wants to) Her full quote from our email is as follows:

All animals have souls and get to go to heaven too. And, just like us, everything will be better there. I know you don't have those beliefs, and that's okay. For me, those principles are just too beautiful to not believe in.

Yes, I am aware that her views are not representative of everyone's views but I'm curious as to whether this would have been your "made me an atheist" reason if you had been surrounded by people who believed what this mormon believes. (Assuming you weren't raised amongst such people, of course.)

[Walking Void]

I was baptised a catholic, schooled as a catholic, and was involved in 4 of the 7 sacraments (minus marriage, holy orders, and anointing of the sick). However, thank my teachers, I was taught to question things. If questions received answers, check the authenticity of the evidence. Well, the checking and testing of evidence was my own doing- a product of curiosity (and bitterness). Christianity, and all religions, were based on thought. I thought about it, but I stopped feeding their information to me as authentic.

*Walking Void derails the train*

No love for plants, guys, even though animal cells get a heaven's pass? What makes an animal worthy of having a soul? Do they need to be "smart"? Well, if all animals get to go to heaven, then that means this animal goes too:



But not this plant?



This plant, with more features, a piston-like body part, and overall more complex?

What about this sensitive plant:





What about this beautiful willow:



Do they have no soul to get to heaven? For shame.

[Jiggerj]

For me, atheism sits better with me than Christianity ever did. I was constantly trying to fit Christianity into a mold of logic which did not work, and i realized that and gave up.

Your turn.

I probably have religion to thank for my atheism. The premise of a god has become so invasive in this life that we cannot help to try to put him in some manageable perspective. When I did this I came up with a definition of what the religious claim their biblical god is. This is that definition:

God is an ALL-knowing, ALL-powerful, INVISIBLE being who is EVERYWHERE, who lives in another dimension called heaven, who created the WHOLE universe, who is perfect in every way, who was never born and will never die.

That premise is probably THEE most absurd idea mankind has ever conceived.

[FlyingNarwhal]

I never really felt like religion was real to begin with honestly. My parents were pretty lapsed Catholics, they never once uttered a line from the Bible to me EVER. In my entire childhood they took me to church maybe 7 times, and even though they did send me to CCD, once I declared my atheism to them they allowed me to stop going. I was real lucky in that sense, because I know a lot of my fellow atheists grow up in less tolerant areas with much less tolerant parents.

But ultimately I've always been pretty logical (or at least I hope I am) and there were just too many failures in reasoning when I looked at some of the other mainstream religions, and so I ended up as a deist that thought that there might be a higher being that created everything but that doesn't care about the outcome of his creation. From there I moved the agnosticism and finally atheism.

[renatoab]

Religions are brought to us by people . Why should I believe someone that brings me some religion and not believe another person ? So, to be fair, I believe them the same way, not believing anyone

[Jenny A]

I've never believed. The hard part was confessing I didn't. Oh, and I did try to believe for a few years. Didn't work out. The trouble is that I tried by actually reading the Bible and other things. Wrong way to go about believe, I assure you.

[SteelCurtain]

Holy necro, Batman.

Modhat on: renotoab, please make sure you check the date of the OP before you post in a thread that's 2 years old. Thanks.

[Whateverist]

I'd like to say, before the crypt of this thread closes again, that I am an atheist by the will of God. He has seen fit to elevate me above Himself while becoming nothing at all to me. God is truly great.

[robvalue]

There are two important points in my life where you could say I became an atheist. It depends on your point of view and interpretation of definitions.

You could say it was when I was born. Or you could say it was the first time I heard someone talking about God.

[Whateverist]

What about the first time you read the bible?