Question to atheists

[robvalue]

I am naturally extremely curious and sceptical, so no doubt I'd be asking all kinds of questions. If my mind was given any kind of free reign, I imagine there's a fair chance. I have no problem being in the minority, even the extreme minority.

However, if I was heavily indoctrinated and scared into never asking questions, maybe I'd never make it that far.

[ignoramus]

There were atheists before the library and the internet...so they burned them at the stake....

FTFY

[I_am_not_mafia]

Atheists: If you were born and raised in a society where literally everyone else was theist, and there was no atheistic material available in the libraries or on the internet, would you still be an atheist today? Phrased differently, could you possibly have "discovered" atheism all by yourself?

My answer is probably not. Prominent atheists like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris played a big role in me becoming an atheist. So I guess we ought to be indebted to other atheists (past or present).

Depends on whether I had access to a scientific education or not. Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris had nothing to do with me becoming an atheist.

Saying that, I dismissed the idea of God long before I gave up woo. I used to believe in reincarnation because I was raised in those beliefs even though the first two schools I went to were Xtian schools.

[robvalue]

I don't know how it could be possible that every single person in the world was a theist. I mean, there could be no open atheists of course. But it would have to be some intensely brainwashing and oppressive culture that never allowed anyone to slip through the cracks.

Anyhow, my parents never mentioned anything about atheism or religion to me. I met religion with a blank slate at the age of 5, where I immediately saw through it as a load of nonsense.

[Mister Agenda]

Atheists: If you were born and raised in a society where literally everyone else was theist, and there was no atheistic material available in the libraries or on the internet, would you still be an atheist today? Phrased differently, could you possibly have "discovered" atheism all by yourself?

My answer is probably not. Prominent atheists like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris played a big role in me becoming an atheist. So I guess we ought to be indebted to other atheists (past or present).

Yah, I realized I was an atheist in 1996. I did a little research, but it mainly just convinced me that the word 'atheist' was the correct word for my position. We did exist before the God Delusion came out. The internet made a big difference, I had knowingly met only two or three atheists when I was 42, started a group on Meetup and now I've met hundreds. The big change to me seems to be between 'we used to mostly keep it to ourselves' and 'now we announce it on Facebook and internet forums'.

[robvalue]

At the risk of sounding self-indulgent, I want to give my 5 year old self a high-five. As well as not being fooled by the religion presented by every one of my teachers, I was also tolerant and secularist (before I knew what those words meant). I even took part in the nativity show, as Joseph.

It just goes to show what a blank slate can do, rather than an indoctrinated one.

[Whateverist]

Atheists: If you were born and raised in a society where literally everyone else was theist, and there was no atheistic material available in the libraries or on the internet, would you still be an atheist today? Phrased differently, could you possibly have "discovered" atheism all by yourself?

My answer is probably not. Prominent atheists like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris played a big role in me becoming an atheist. So I guess we ought to be indebted to other atheists (past or present).

Have never read an atheist book but I remember looking to see if such things existed in the card catalog of my high school library.  (Apparently not back in 1970 in my South San Francisco high school.)

[Angrboda]

Would a theist not experience doubt, if there were no atheists? I suspect they would. Your question can be interpreted in at least two ways. First, as asking if I would still be an atheist were it not for the persuasive arguments, rhetoric, and opinion of other atheists, particularly prominent ones like Dawkins and Hitchens? The opinions of prominent atheists did not influence my decision much at all. As to the arguments and rhetoric of other atheists, I was aware of that prior to becoming an atheist, but it by itself did not sway me from religion. Though it's certainly the case that knowing that such arguments were there might have had some effect. I believe it was Dawkins who said that Darwin allowed one to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist. If the position of atheism had seemed unreasonable, I might have remained religious longer, or sought out a different religion to switch to when doubt came calling. The other question would be whether the mere example of atheism, knowing that it was a possibility, influenced my becoming an atheist. It surely did. If it's near impossible to imagine living without some religion, the likelihood that one would do so is likely reduced. And yet, that's a triviality, as that really doesn't address any comparative between non-religion and religion, but is just a boring fact.

[Whateverist]

The other question would be whether the mere example of atheism, knowing that it was a possibility, influenced my becoming an atheist.  It surely did.  If it's near impossible to imagine living without some religion, the likelihood that one would do so is likely reduced.  

If every attempt to learn whether anyone else had ever had doubts about religion, one would likely wonder what was wrong with them. It would seem like some kind of pathology. If one reached the point where you were pretty sure you'd never believe in a god, you might decide to keep that to yourself. But then you'd have to wonder if there were others in the same boat so that maybe you weren't really alone.

[DodosAreDead]

I'd probably not know that the thing I am was called atheist, but I'd still be one.