Were you once a believer?

[SecularStudent]

I voted "No" because although I used to have some vague notions of a pantheistic deity/Nature thing, I never could make myself truly believe in any god(s).
As to your question about whether someone is a stronger atheist after being de-converted, I don't know. But I do know that because I did not have a serious religious upbringing, I don't have the notions in my head that drive people to make excuses for their belief. Simply put, I cannot fathom what makes people theists, although from discussions with theists and ex-theists, I'm starting to learn (though it all seems rather ridiculous to somebody who was not raised with a bias towards the supernatural). So, I guess what I'm saying is that I (and other atheists I know who were raised non-religious) am a fairly strong atheist, which I attribute in part to the nature of my up-bringing (the rest, as athnostic pointed out, is due to education ).

[The Doctor]

I was until like last year. I've always told that God created everything and he was a nice god. It wasn't until I read the Bible and see that God was just a dick and was very jelious.

Also if we was a good God that loved his people. Why did he kills millions of people every year, by his followers and natural causes.

Conflict with science which moved me way and these people helped:

A Wave of Reason:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PT90dAA49Q

[Unbeliever]

I never believed.

[athnostic]

(01-01-2011 07:24 AM)The_observer Wrote:  

(31-12-2010 09:31 PM)athnostic Wrote:  ...the possibility of being damned for all eternity....

Do you still have that unnerving voice inside your skull telling you that?
(i have )

Occasionally. I think the more informed I become about my atheism the less the fear of hell bothers me. (In that the existence of hell becomes less and less probable to me which lessens my fear of it.)

I'm much more afraid now of what people will do when they find out I'm an atheist. The next big hurdle, I guess ...

[trillium13]

(31-12-2010 09:31 PM)athnostic Wrote:  I was a believer for a long time. A real die-hard, Bible-thumper, judgmental, "my way or the highway (to hell)" kind of girl. I even majored in Bible in college.

I became an atheist by reading myself out of being a Christian. Education really is the key to the whole thing. (That and having the cahunas to look god in the eye and face the possibility of being damned for all eternity.)

Congratulations.

I live in the bible belt, and a lot of the people here strike me as foam-at-the-mouth crazy. When I read a post like yours, I can't help but wonder how many of them ever question their faith.

They can't all be this crazy, can they? Can they???

[No J.]

(01-01-2011 08:41 PM)trillium13 Wrote:  They can't all be this crazy, can they? Can they???

Actually, yes they can. Hopefully there are some sane ones in their midst. In some places there are, as Athnostic is proof of, but do all places have atheists hiding in the woodwork? I hope so, but I don't know.

[Observer]

Religion is mostly groups-dynamic. Face it. No one likes to be left out. Hell... even we are here on this forum to flock together, aren't we? It's the structure i miss the most. But I won't give in to irrational believes just to have some structure.

[KermieB]

I was born and raised in the southern bible belt.... SC. I was forced to go to church three times a week. Never missed it, or I got my ass whooped. Mom made us participate. I'm not gonna sit here and say it was all bad. I learned to be a very good "christian" person, meaning I was moral, and learned that laws are there to keep a decent and organized society. I don't have a problem with the lessons I learned growing up. However..... I went to a Southern Baptist supported College in Murfreesboro, NC... Chowan. It's a faith based (University now) school and all degrees included several hours of Religion. Yes, it was mandatory. I started questioning the Bible during that course, mostly because I was being a smart ass and defiant student, but the more I questioned, you more I started to become a free thinker and doubt what I had been force fed for so many years as a kid.
You didn't question the bible to my mom. That was grounds for a major league ass-cutting, so anything I doubted was kept to my self. Now I'm a closet atheist because I know it would kill her to know I don't believe in her, or any one's god, and I have too much respect for her feelings to "bust her bubble." This is my first time here, and this is my first post.

[No J.]

(02-01-2011 07:33 PM)KermieB Wrote:  Now I'm a closet atheist because I know it would kill her to know I don't believe in her, or any one's god, and I have too much respect for her feelings to "bust her bubble." This is my first time here, and this is my first post.

A lot of people have trouble deciding how to come out as an atheist, but it seems you don't want to anywhere that your mother could possibly find out. That is understandable.

I read a post on another forum a while back about an atheist who lived in a bible belt and was involved in local politics. We wasn't eager to come out either. His reason was two-fold. 1. Coming out would get himself ostracized, and 2. by posing as a theist he could do a lot to influence theists and reduce and prevent some of the damage that would be created by them.

Enjoy the forum.

[Observer]

(02-01-2011 07:33 PM)KermieB Wrote:  Now I'm a closet atheist because I know it would kill her to know I don't believe in her, or any one's god, and I have too much respect for her feelings to "bust her bubble." This is my first time here, and this is my first post.

Same here, exept for the "closet" part. Nice of you that you want to respect your mothers feelings.
You are not alone.
Welcome on the forum.