Dear ex-theists

[CapnAwesome]

For those of you who used to believe in a deity or subscribe to some kind of religion, what was it, and what was the very first thing that gave you pause? I'm not asking for you to tell your entire deconversion process, as there is a perfectly awesome corner of the forums for that. Just tell us what that first spark of inspiration was that led you away from faith.

Oh, me? I'm an ex-Mormon, and the first big one for me was finding out just by reading through it a few times (while I was a missionary, no less) that the Book of Mormon was more or less a bastardized plagiarism of the Bible. You can probably surmise where things went from there.

I don't think I had a spark or some such. Even when I was young I remember being very skeptical of the claims of my church. As I got older everything started to chip away until I was more or less a deist, then an agnostic and then I finally just said fuck it, I guess I'm an Atheist.

[Paraselene]

Oh, me? I'm an ex-Mormon, and the first big one for me was finding out just by reading through it a few times (while I was a missionary, no less) that the Book of Mormon was more or less a bastardized plagiarism of the Bible. You can probably surmise where things went from there.

It was not the blatant silliness of the way in which the religion itself was created?

As for me, it was when I discovered some of Robert Green Ingersoll's agnostic works on the internet. It was the first time I had ever read anything of that magnitude which actually placed religion in the light of the lie that it is.

[Bad Writer]

Oh, me? I'm an ex-Mormon, and the first big one for me was finding out just by reading through it a few times (while I was a missionary, no less) that the Book of Mormon was more or less a bastardized plagiarism of the Bible. You can probably surmise where things went from there.

It was not the blatant silliness of the way in which the religion itself was created?

I was a raised in it, so even to the point of my initial doubts I thought it was perfectly reasonable for God and Jesus to appear to their prophet in order that their True Religion™ become restored. God appeared to Moses and other such prophets; it only made sense to a young, impressionable mind, and it stuck with me throughout the years.

Once those initial doubts took hold, everything else started falling into place, and reason flooded my mind.

As for me, it was when I discovered some of Robert Green Ingersoll's agnostic works on the internet. It was the first time I had ever read anything of that magnitude which actually placed religion in the light of the lie that it is.

The internet is where I garnered most of my information as well. I started with deconstructing Mormonism, and I eventually moved on to Hitchens.

What was your original religion/faith, if any?

[Paraselene]

What was your original religion/faith, if any?

I was born and raised Roman Catholic, though we were more of a family that simply identified with religion more than practiced it. At the time when I discovered Ingersoll, I had ignorantly converted to Pentecostal Christianity at the behest of someone I thought was my friend.

[Bad Writer]

I had ignorantly converted to Pentecostal Christianity at the behest of someone I thought was my friend.

I don't know what your relationship with that person currently looks like, but I can say from experience that these types of theists are some of the worst. They see an opportunity where someone is losing their faith, so they fill that new void in their life (if a void exists) with their own brand of bullshit.

I never moved on to a new religion because when Mormonism crumbled before my eyes, I was completely disenfranchised with religions for the moment. Anyone who came by trying to peddle their Jesus wares were immediately rejected. Then there were the whiners: "It's so sad that when Mormons lose their faith that they reject all other faiths too." Yeah...sad? That always makes me LOL.

[Chad32]

I considered buddhism or hinduism before becoming an atheist, mostly because it is an actual peaceful philosophy, and I like the idea of reincarnation better than going to one place for all eternity. Unfortunately it seems that reincarnation is not actually the desired goal of the belief, and it's not like I remember any previous lives anyway. Plus there aren't any hindus or buddhists in my town. We do have at least one on here, though. I've also heard that some think that women can't reach enlightenment, so it's not like it's a philosophical utopia.

Eventually I decided to not to go from one belief to another, and just be an atheist.