where did you come from?

[Violet]

And if the wind shifts direction, he may become an atheist again.

---

Oh, to answer the OP question;

See my avatar. I AM God.

Yes, almighty Dotard, creator of the universe... you are God

[Edwardo Piet]

I have always been non-religious really, if I ever believed when I was a kid, it was extremely vague and I had no idea it was I believed. Probably more deistic than anything, the whole "God is a mystery", "Who knows?" thing.

Then spent most of my life a strong gnostic atheist. And I've been a more rational agnostic atheist, and also a lot more openly atheistic, since August 2008.

EvF

[Catlady]

I was raised going to a Methodist church. When I was a sophmore, my mom switched to a different Methodist church and I started going to a Catholic church with a friend. I almost converted to Catholicism my first year in college. (2001) My dad never went to church, originally because of his work schedule and later because I think he's an atheist though he's never said so. Then I was back at the Methodist church and that's where I was married in 2004. Soon after that my parents moved to a new town and my mom stopped going to church too. (I think she's still Christian.) Then I attended a Christian church for a while, but by then I was an atheist and only going to sing in the choir.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Not in Boston, where the majority of Catholics are Irish, many of my priests had Irish accents.

I've never been to Boston. My comments were about my direct personal experience here in Australia. I was also referring specifically to the laity,although some of the nuns were pretty disgusting. The good brothers who terrorised me were all home grown arseholes.

I was also referring to a TYPE of primitive and superstitious Catholicism,which implies a certain world view and mindset
.
I think they call them "Lace curtain Irish" in Boston;few have ever been anywhere near Ireland..

We actually had few Irish priests and THEY were dropkicks. (That's how they got sent to Australia to begin with).

[Ryft]

My mom left my dad when I was a toddler. Raised by mom (who believed in God for a couple of hours one day each week) and stepdad (not sure he ever believed) until I hit adolescence, when she finally kicked me out of the house. Although she tried to inculcate religious language in me, it never really stuck because I couldn't square the religious language with the years of physical and emotional abuse. I did have a strong interest in the paranormal, however. I remember listening to Art Bell on the radio a lot. Aliens, remote viewing, Area 51, etc. Entered the group home circuit for a stretch. Lost whatever religious language remained. Spent a couple years in therapy but the healing never happened. Introduced to Carl Sagan and fell in love with cosmology and popular science books.

Rediscovered biological father and moved in with him. Raised by him (militant atheist) and stepmom (quasi-Wiccan pagan) until I was 20. Extraordinarily strong bond between me and my dad. He was a student of Theravada Buddhism and instilled in me a fascination for philosophical thought. I studied Theravada Buddhism too, but ended up preferring Mahayana Buddhism. (If you know anything about Buddhism, you might detect the minor irony there.) Explored numerous world religions, mostly eastern.

It matured into a passion for debate, which I particularly enjoyed with a certain friend of mine who was a sharp Christian. His arguments completely demolished my views. Since I had nothing left to combat with, I started listening instead. At age 25 I converted to Christianity. Continued studying philosophy but now had theology to explore too. Met a new friend in 2004, who did to my theology what my previous friend did to my philosophy. At age 32 I converted to Reformation theology. Continued studying philosophy and theology, but now began exploring church history too. My philosophical studies have concentrated on logic, epistemology, and ethics. Theological studies have concentrated on theology, soteriology, and biblical hermeneutics. Church history studies have concentrated on the period from 11th to 17th centuries.

[Secularone]

Born an atheist.
Brainwashed as an adolescent to believe in the supernatural and the Christian god.
Age 16... gave my life to Jesus. Went off the deep end.
Became a Pentecostal Evangelist.
Eventually, began to question my intolerance, values and dogma.
Evolved to Methodism and became a lay minister in the Methodist Church.
I couldn't stop questioning.
Evolved to Deism and became without church.
Kept questioning.
Born again to atheism.
I decided my values would dictate my faith instead of my faith dictating my values.
Became apathetic to religion and was silent.
In the 90's I recognized my old religious-nut self in the "Moral Majority."
I got pissed and decided to start preaching again. This time critical thinking and reason.
I found Secular Humanism, a perfect match for my values.
I'm still questioning...

[Ace Otana]

Was brought up in an atheistic environment. My father has always been an atheist and my mother was never really sure about the whole god thing but she put it all aside and said she didn't want to hear about it. She made it clear that she wants nothing to do with religion. Only my nan and uncle are theists. I never attended church and never gave much thought or time on religion. Went to church on a one off school trip but saw the whole thing as a pile of shit. Years went by and the thought of religion never entered my mind. During my high school, years later the subject would once again emerge only to be made a joke of. I'd draw churches on fire and such and deliver it to my R.E teacher to make it clear that I'm no interested. Eventually I managed to leave R.E classes and was once again free from bullshit. Way after my last days of high school and way past my first flight training introduction the subject would come around again. This time online. Offline I never debate religion nor pay any attention to it but online I am willing to debate it. If you came to me about the subject of religion offline I'd tell you to keep it to yourself. Religion doesn't exist to me, god doesn't exist to me and nor does some afterlife. Only online I'd debate it.

All in all, I have never been religious. I never baught the story. My upbringing is of an atheistic one. I was given the freedom to go to church and believe but didn't. Through out my whole life religion has never played a role in my life. Never has and never will.

[Falhalterra]

Mostly, my grandma's side of the family seems to be a little Catholic, but I was raised Baptist, yet incredibly loosely. I chose when to go to Church and that wasn't very often, of course.
Otherwise, I grew up to my grandma trying to make me believe I was psychic and very special. So...New Age was a big part of my life for so many years up until June 2009. Then I became a Skeptic.

[Rockthatpiano06]

Methodist, and I went to church until I was about 11. Once I moved, we just never found a new church so I never went back (except for the odd girl scout sunday or something). I always doubted, I always remember doubting. I never though "god thinks this" or "god does that" i always remember thinking "if there is a god then..." so I guess the thought that all of it wasnt true was always in my mind. I wondered how the things in the bible could be proven and stuff like that, once I got older I realized that they couldnt. I dont know when I officially became an atheist but I'd say sometime in highschool, and I was even agnostic before that. My parents are not really super religious, my mom was raised catholic and my dad methodist but i'm pretty sure my dad is an agnostic or atheist. My little sister is also an atheist. My middle sister is the only wacky one that still holds onto god (and shes also a little bitch, lol)