what age did you stop beleaving in the religion you where raised with?

[iheartnihilism]

I went to catholic school for the first few years of my life. After that I went to public school but still left early every weds. for ccd class. I'd say I probably started thinking religion was bullshit before I made my confirmation which was round 9-10. However, t took an additional 10+ years for my mother to accept that I "kinda don't believe in god".

[The Quintessential Loser]

In truth, I don't think I ever believed. But I didn't accept that until I was 18 and actually had the choice of going to church or not. I hadn't even heard of Atheism at the time and thought I was alone in my thinking.

My mother never did accept that I'm an atheist. She was always shocked whenever me or my brother bring it up.

[DJ Trashy]

I was 'born again' at age 7, never stopped believing until around 40 or so.

This just means I have a lot of drinking and partying to make up for. Keep that in mind when you see pics of me putting KATG temp tattoos on someone's cleavage. It's not my fault, really.

[madeyeshawn]

I was raised in an Irish Catholic family (not super hardcore about it but definitely a prevalent factor of weekly life)

I remember being in CCD and never understanding why coloring books had anything to do with some guy who died but didnt die and became three things at once but then came back and gave me gifts for believing in his story.

I remember trying to pray and just feeling like a fucking moron, then I never tried to pray ever again. I knew right away that nobody was listening.

My parents forced me to go through first communion, so I shaved horizontal lines in the side of my head so that all the pictures taken during the event I would look like a jack ass.

Then they told me that I wont get the money from my 1st communion unless I got confirmed. I agreed with them that I don't deserve the religious based donations, They took out the 900 dollars of cash and ask me if I was sure. I did not get confirmed, the whole idea of confirmation disgusted me and they already bought me a sega for xmas and I knew that money was going to college tuition no matter what religion I did or didnt believe in.

Still an atheist 13-14 years later, and they still think its a phase. **EDIT** still think I will turn coat once I have a wedding/family (of which I don't even plan on having). Ignorance is old.

I also refuse to go to any family Easter gatherings, still show up for xmas but never ever call it xmas. Have not taken communion since the day I ditched my confirmation either.

Next step is making a living will that will strip all religious references from my eventual death/funeral. If my family wants religion to be a part of my death they must find their own church/time and place to do so.

[Jonny Face]

It's always amazing to hear how hard it is to be in atheist in the USA.Over here in England, religious people (well, christians anyway), always seems kinda half-assed about it.It's like they are religious 'just in case', rather than because they genuinely believe in it all.

My parents werent really religious (which is strange as my grandfather was a priest), but I was introduced to it through school/sunday school and got really into it of my own accord for some of my early teens.Eventually I realised that praying does nothing, the Bible makes no sense, and that any change I felt had occurred was just an illusion in my head.

[Scuba Steve]

13. .

[Lambboy]

See this little guy.



Both him and I are atheists. All babies are atheists. They have no concept of God and it has to be taught to them. Everyone knows this but seldom talk about it. They know if a baby was born in America there's a good chance that it will be a Christian and if it was born in Afghanistan there's a good chance it would be a Muslim.

I remember sitting in the pews at church and looking around at all the adults listening to the preacher (who was my grandfather) and thinking "this is nuts"

As a child I couldn't believe. I never once remember praying to God. I'm thankful I don't have all those lies bouncing around in my skull. Jesus is Santa Clause for adults.

[Spencer to Adventure]

I'm 17 I stopped going to church when I was around 11. My dad took me on a spin of agnosticism, and I ended up being an angst ass hole who wouldn't say the pledge because it had the word God in it.

Now I follow spiritual occultism, meditation techniques that allow one to achieve different forms of enlightenment. You don't have to be in an organized religion, and even if you are an atheist its healthy to have a little bit of soul searching.

Currently I'm working on symbolism that can slowly represent the world. The Tree of Life (kabalah) works in basically the same way. For all of you atheists and agnostics, I just want to say that even though you had a bad experience with Christianity, doesn't mean you can't be spiritual. I found in contrast to atheism, that occultism branches off into practically any belief system there is. You can do whatever the hell you want, including weird abnormal shit that wastes time, or grants deep deep insight.

I replaced the unknowing and unfeeling God with my own determination to become a better person. I believe that God is an important entity or thought form, and even though he may or may not exist, he still holds weight whether he's merely an idea or a real physical entity. I am a mix of extrovert and introvert.

It's fucked up but I like it.

[da_ticklah]

somewhere around 13, 14 but I gave it another go in my late 20's and gave up on it again around 30.

[Rhian]

I've always had a curiousity about religion, and I still do. I was baptized anglican, but never was part of a family that went to church. I went with some friends sometimes, and I was a little brat in their Sunday School classes because I kept arguing with the teacher.

At weddings/funerals I have to shake my head, at the hypocrites that take communion, and kneel when they don't practice.

I don't care what you believe, just ain't it harm none.

(yes that's a clue to what I am now.)

Also, realize that beLIEve...just a thought.