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RE: how old were you
January 24, 2015 at 2:55 pm
There's a hell of a difference between a religious education and indoctrination. I would expect that those educated would be more likely to leave, but I would also expect they would take a more balanced approach to their religion if they continue with it. Just my speculation.
Indoctrination is mind rape. Just thought I'd say that again. Don't do it, anyone, ever.
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RE: how old were you
January 24, 2015 at 2:57 pm
I declared myself atheist at ten but I never was religiously inclined. When I was really young maybe 3 or 4 I thought religion was some big joke like Santa Claus or the easter bunny. I finally got that it wasn't a joke when my dad slapped me for calling God a meany at 6. That's the only time my dad ever hit me so I just blindly believed after that until I started anylizing religion at about nine. Then I decided that it all sounded like a pile of horse shit. Now, as an atheist, I'm the happiest I've ever been.
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RE: how old were you
January 24, 2015 at 3:01 pm
(January 24, 2015 at 10:57 am)AFTT47 Wrote: I was utterly shocked the first time I realized people actually believed in Genesis.
Me too!!
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RE: how old were you
January 24, 2015 at 3:05 pm
(This post was last modified: January 24, 2015 at 3:06 pm by Alex K.)
(January 24, 2015 at 10:00 am)FlyingNarwhal Wrote: I became an official atheist (secret decoder ring and all) around 11. But to answer your question, God stopped making sense around 8 when I asked 'if God made us, who made God?' to my parents and they couldn't give me a solid answer.
They couldn't shut you up with sophisticated theology? 
(January 24, 2015 at 3:01 pm)Kitty Galore Wrote: (January 24, 2015 at 10:57 am)AFTT47 Wrote: I was utterly shocked the first time I realized people actually believed in Genesis.
Me too!!
Me too. I was 18 and went to Texas the first time... Mind=blown
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
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RE: how old were you
January 24, 2015 at 6:36 pm
(January 24, 2015 at 2:41 pm)Kitty Galore Wrote: I always struggled with the fairy tales of Sunday school. I never believed these things actually happened. Even at my young age I suspected that children's stories are for children. I figured it was a way to make boring church more fun for kids with stories and coloring books.
In my 20's I looked around at being "spiritual". Mother earth and karma, this kind of belief. I was a faux hippy. I loved the style, but not the life style.
Karma was the hardest belief for me to let go of. I did truly believe that there was "something" that kept the balance of good and evil, outside of religion. "Things happen for a reason."
Someone did some very terrible things to me in my early 20's. This person murdered his wife, then killed himself, a couple of years later. This solidified karma for me.
I believed coincidence proved that there was something out there controlling it.
This changed for me about 5 years ago in my early 40's. I started analyzing things critically.
You seem like such an incredibly sweet person, Kitty. I am so sorry that happened to you.
Genesis never made sense to me but I didn't stop believing in a god until I hit my early forties. For several years before that, I really struggled with my faith and went through several denominations trying to find some way to retain belief. Once I finally let go, I wondered why I ever believed in the first place. Actually, I am sort of embarrassed that it took so long to stop believing. My daughter says that she never believed and I have no reason to doubt her.
My childhood was abusive so I wonder if my faith in god was somehow tied in with my trying for so long to please and love my mother. Once she died, I also was able to suddenly accept that there was no deity.
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RE: how old were you
January 24, 2015 at 6:57 pm
Nope, I think some of us are just hard-wired atheists. I don't know that those of us who were atheists when we were children were necessarily less susceptible to bullshit - maybe a certain type of bullshit. I was big into UFOs and ancient astronauts when I was a teenager. I did learn critical thinking later. I got better, as Monty Python might say. My earlier rejection of religion was based on something unconscious. It just didn't feel right at all.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Albert Einstein
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RE: how old were you
January 24, 2015 at 6:58 pm
(This post was last modified: January 24, 2015 at 7:02 pm by Roxy904.)
Amateurs...
I used Bible pages as my diapers.
Being serious, though, a lot of religion didn't make sense to me when I was little, and then I matured a bit, and really tried to believe, because I wanted to make my parents happy. Then I matured a bit more, and realized I should stop pretending that bullshit is actually gold. Bullshit is bullshit.
Gone
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RE: how old were you
January 24, 2015 at 8:54 pm
Somewhere between 6 or 8.
Comparing the Universal Oneness of All Life to Yo Mama since 2010.
![[Image: harmlesskitchen.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/yxR97P23/harmlesskitchen.png)
I was born with the gift of laughter and a sense the world is mad.
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RE: how old were you
January 24, 2015 at 9:02 pm
(January 24, 2015 at 6:36 pm)Nope Wrote: (January 24, 2015 at 2:41 pm)Kitty Galore Wrote: I always struggled with the fairy tales of Sunday school. I never believed these things actually happened. Even at my young age I suspected that children's stories are for children. I figured it was a way to make boring church more fun for kids with stories and coloring books.
In my 20's I looked around at being "spiritual". Mother earth and karma, this kind of belief. I was a faux hippy. I loved the style, but not the life style.
Karma was the hardest belief for me to let go of. I did truly believe that there was "something" that kept the balance of good and evil, outside of religion. "Things happen for a reason."
Someone did some very terrible things to me in my early 20's. This person murdered his wife, then killed himself, a couple of years later. This solidified karma for me.
I believed coincidence proved that there was something out there controlling it.
This changed for me about 5 years ago in my early 40's. I started analyzing things critically.
You seem like such an incredibly sweet person, Kitty. I am so sorry that happened to you.
Genesis never made sense to me but I didn't stop believing in a god until I hit my early forties. For several years before that, I really struggled with my faith and went through several denominations trying to find some way to retain belief. Once I finally let go, I wondered why I ever believed in the first place. Actually, I am sort of embarrassed that it took so long to stop believing. My daughter says that she never believed and I have no reason to doubt her.
My childhood was abusive so I wonder if my faith in god was somehow tied in with my trying for so long to please and love my mother. Once she died, I also was able to suddenly accept that there was no deity.
Bolded by me.
First of all, thank you for that. I'm thankful I came out of it retaining kindness.
Second, that is me all over...lol
![[Image: dc52deee8e6b07186c04ff66a45fd204.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=i585.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss295%2Faaliyahqin%2Fcat%2Fdc52deee8e6b07186c04ff66a45fd204.jpg)
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RE: how old were you
January 24, 2015 at 9:58 pm
It took me a much longer time than most people:
Age 12 - very suspicious after reading the Bible the first time.
Age 20 - frustrated with my inability to experience God, and decided I didn't believe.
Age 43 - had psychosis and became convinced that Christianity must be true somehow.
Age 45 - became suspicious again and stopped going to church and learning about religion.
Age 48 - atheist again (armed with more information this time)
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