At what age did you become an atheist?

[Minimalist]

I finally dismissed "religion" as silly blather in my 20's. For 30 years it was a source of some amusement - like the time I went to a catholic funeral with my (jewish) union president and he asked me what the little bells were for? "Good Humor Man" I whispered and he elbowed me in the ribs.

I suppose I didn't give much thought to atheism, per se, until I retired and started hanging out on various message boards and started coming in contact with absolute, dyed-in-the-wool, shitheaded, xtian/muslim jackasses.

One might say that jesus freaks made me what I am today.


Thanks, asswipes.

[Whateverist]

I don't mind saying that I knew I was an atheist about 10. For a couple of years before that I started thinking about it. But some time in 5th grade I became very clear and final about it.

I was raised by a Methodist father who, fortunately, wasn't home much since he was in the navy. My mother wasn't as steadfast about it. But I went to church until sometime before I started school. Never read the bible. Made up most of what I believed loosely weaving in the character of Jesus/god (just one deity there as I saw it). I imagined God as an ancient being who was morally best. I never wondered about his role in creating the physical world. Didn't care. It was about how to be and it provided that long view that didn't terminate at death. What I got from it was a desire to worthy as an eternal friend to this God, who I imagined would be lonely surrounded by all we inferior, younger beings. So I endeavored to think about what was important and to act in the way that was most respectful of others. I wanted to be a moral colleague of God, to stand on my own feet and own the consequences of my actions for my own reasons. So it was never about following rules for me. To my mind, that would cast me forever into a subservient position.

I don't regret having believed what I did. It certainly had an influence on who I've become. I've just let go of anticipating an after-life, eternal significant other. Now I look for admirable others amongst my own kind and have not always been disappointed.

[Simon Moon]

I remember going to religious services and religious school when I was pretty young, 10 or 11, and feeling almost like a an anthropologist (although I wasn't aware of the field of science at the time). As if I was observing some millennia old tribe practice their archaic rites. I always felt outside of their beliefs.

I also used to be the one that asked all those 'uncomfortable' questions, that were never answered in a satisfying way.

At about the age of 13 or 14, I came to the conclusion that I did not believe in any gods. At this point, I was yet to hear the terms, 'agnostic' or 'atheist', and I thought I was the only one that thought this way.

It wasn't until many years later (with a more sophisticated understanding) , that I figured that my position was atheism

[Marsellus Wallace]

Its when you reach the age of reason.

For me : it was on my early 21 . Things changed pretty quickly .

[Tonus]

My deconversion was very, very slow. I probably started to lose interest in religion in my late 20s, but simply chalked it up to a wavering of faith that needed to be overcome. I would say I was in my mid/late 30s when I simply stopped doing anything religious (attending worship, praying, reading and studying the Bible, etc). I was in my early 40s when I finally accepted that I was an atheist. The fact that the process was so long and drawn out made it a pretty easy one, in the sense that there wasn't some traumatic moment when I wrestled with giving up religious beliefs. By the time I realized that I was an atheist, any beliefs had long since bled away.

Growing up in an insular cult keeps you in a very controlled bubble, where your only information comes from the cult leadership. I didn't dare to entertain any non-JW information until after I'd decided that I was an atheist and therefore could not be a JW (hard to witness for someone who doesn't exist, after all). If I'd done so sooner the process would no doubt have completed much more quickly, but possibly with many more problems along the way. I have very few complaints about how my life has turned out, so that might be why I have so few recriminations. And I'm still young enough that "what might have been" can still be, so no reason to be bitter, either (or maybe just a little bitter).

[Sedna]

It's hard to say. When I was young, I found it extremely difficult to believe that God existed. I still would have said I believed though, since everyone said it was true. I first started thinking of myself as atheist in about 6th grade (at about 11 years old), but I really struggled socially since everyone I knew was Christian and so I tried out different religions. I couldn't decide between various theistic religions and discrediting religion altogether. I finally came to terms with being atheist a couple years ago (perhaps when I was about 16 years old).

I decided to vote for 12-19 years old on the poll.

[CapnAwesome]

I don't know exactly. It's kind of strange to say. As a child I definitely believed in God. At various points I lost certain elements of belief. I think I was an agnostic by the time I was in my late teens and an Atheist by the time I was 20. Honestly though it wasn't something that I really put that much thought into. Some people talk about the pain of deconverting, but for me I hardly even thought about the process as it was going on.

[Cyberman]

Never known any other way, never needed to. Theism was never a factor in my upbringing and my parents encouraged me to find my own path. Teaching me to read before I started school probably helped; I've always been a voracious reader. No, the whole silly 'religion' stuff only impinged on my life probably in my teens, via the occasional god-squad friend, and I only really identified under the atheist banner once I got my grubby little mitts on the internet.

[MJ the Skeptical]

Never believed. I was the kid in Sunday School they kicked out for asking too many questions. Noah's Ark was especially ill-formed to me as a kid since I was a scientifically inclined kid. They didn't like me very much.

[Shaggy]

I remember thinking god was real when was pretty young. Probably around 10. But I was never religious. No one in my close family goes to church regularly, though all if them claim to believe in god. but I think I was probably around 12-14 when I first told my mom I didn't think god was real. Then just a couple of years ago around age 20 I really started researching atheism (largely by accident). That's when I first really learned about it and considered myself atheist.