How did you become an atheist?

[God of Mr. Hanky]

So, can you tell us about how you became an atheist? Was it a process or an instance when you dropped your god belief? Did someone help you along, or influence you? Or maybe you were always an atheist? Please share your story.

Also, if you could address whether or not you discovered since you became an atheist that you had other irrational beliefs besides the belief in a God, and what you did about those.

Feel free to answer however you like. These are just guidelines. But I'm basically asking about your atheism(and maybe about your skepticism), so to speak.

Well, it began with watching relatives piss and moan over parent's defection from their Catholic church, then learning that Catholic children actually believed all Protestants would burn in hell for not being raised like they were, but most of all it was the teachings of dour evangelicals in my school (now how's that for irony) which were too fucked up even for the dumbest members of my family. I knew there was something wrong, but sadly I never really considered atheism an option for me until decades later while online, when I read the ExChristian site. (don't even know if it's still there or what I would think of it now, it's been around 10 years since my last visit there). I later read some books, watched Dawkin's "Root Of All Evil", watched more videos, watched atheist debates, read Letter To A Christian Nation, watched The Atheist Experience, read more books, and hung out on Patheos Atheist Channel until it became rather monotonous and a bit choked by so many SJWs (although my respect for Hemant Mehta of Friendly Atheist remains very high).

Oh, other irrational ideas, such as those exploited by astrologers, psychics and palm readers only helped me in making the jump to atheism. I watched others interact with these con artists, and the idea behind "cold reading" was more than obvious before I ever saw that term. The eyes were basically making the same patterns of motion as those of any evangelical liar who I had encountered. If there's really any truth to any of these ideas of gods or other supernatural forces, then why must everyone with a claim on interacting with them resort to lying?

[Athene]

Hiding my answer, because I really don't want give the forum theists any ammunition. 
I became an atheist, because one day I decided....

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I jus wonnatoo si-yuhn!

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[robvalue]

I've always been an atheist. I wasn't indoctrinated (into religion or "into atheism") and I saw through religion as soon as I encountered it.

[God of Mr. Hanky]

Unresolvable errors, see reply below to Kevin M1

[Excited Penguin]

I think the whole notion of Christmas and Santa Claus is the world's way of poking fun at its own stupidity, religion and God.

[God of Mr. Hanky]

Always an atheist, didn't realize it until my early 20s.

I think a lot of us are like that - I never decided to be an atheist, I embraced what I realized has always been my true nature. The day that happened was the first when I felt like I really had a good idea who I really am.

When my mother first told me of her god while I was a toddler, I heard of this really serious, and often angry dude who controls all of us, very much like toy people in some kind of a lego or dollhouse land. She didn't put it that way, but what I interpreted sounded a lot like that. He is also completely invisible, yet all-powerful and present everywhere, interacting and intervening in everything even though things just seem to happen on their own. The more I asked, the more silly their answers seemed, but you trust the wisdom of your parents at that age. He sees everything we do, just like Santa Claus, which got me a bit confused when he turned out to be a myth - and I had already asked enough questions on that myth before letting it go that my Mom had to roll her eyes and go "Santa Claus is God!" What, he's God and myth all at the same time?

Later on I had to settle for the "free will" argument when I realized that this god which even the adults of my world still believe in has the power to see all that will happen before it ever does, what I will do, all of my thoughts before and after every event good and bad. So he can make anything good happen, and can change anything, but he chooses to do nothing and let you suffer the random cruelties of this world. You pray, and you get no answers. You try to believe, you make up your mind you will follow that god, which you have to believe in, but where is he, and where are there really any instructions which apply in the real world where you exist? It's the perfect setup to put all the shit of this world on the weak who are its victims, and grind them into the dirt while dignifying those who pray while succeeding at their expense as "The Faithful"!

[Joods]

Common sense is what caused my atheism. The bible never did make any sense to me with its twisted stories. Things just didn't add up and when I questioned those things, I was told to not question god, which caused concern. The older I became, the more I realized that the whole god thing was bullshit. There's much more to it than that but I'm on my phone and can't type like I'd like to. So you get the short answer.

[Jackalope]

I wrote a nice little story and hit post and it went into the void i guess...

let's see if this post is allowed by 'the man'

..........

For some reason, it was caught in our spam filter. If it happens again, please PM a moderator or admin and we'll take care of it.

[Goosebump]

I tripped and hit my head.

[dyresand]

I tripped and hit my head.

Obvious FLCL troll is obvios