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Just got here! I would love to hear why/how some of you converted to Atheism.

This is my first post here, and as a recent convert from Christianity (try not to faint from shock) I would quite enjoy hearing some interesting stories of enlightenment. Personally I became frustrated with the inaction of my sky god, and decided to figure out why in the nine hells i was worshiping such a jerk. I objectively re-read the Bible, and was shocked how awful the god of the old-testament "was", coupled with how I could have possibly overlooked this in the past. Since I have a college library at my disposal i began reading other religious texts, it became a sort of hobby. After reading the Koran, the book of Mormon, and prying my forehead from my palm, I stumbled onto The Selfish Gene by my new hero Richard Dawkins. Since I am a student of science, the transition was easy, and took far too long.

Not a terribly riveting tale of conversion, but it was a fun journey nonetheless. I'm glad to see a whole community of like-minded individuals, Ohio is hardly a hotbed for Atheism these days.

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Permalink Reply by LarryL on July 20, 2010 at 11:41pm

Hey Adam, welcome!
I have a similiar story - relatively new athiest (18 months now) and very late to the game (I am 49). I'm also from a midwestern state (Missouri now, but from western Michigan orginally).

Perhaps it was a midlife crisis thing for me, but I developed and odd need for truth. I just decided that I needed to start thinking for myself and to really try to study and understand things. I never really understood that term "thinking for oneself" before. Now I do.

The examination of my views started with religion, which fell really quickly (the God Delusion, Letter to a Christian Nation and Julia Sweeney's "Letting Go of God"). My political views were actually much more difficult to shed. I have since concluded that I had come by my politics the same way I had come to my religion - the need for conformity.

I have since realized that conformity does not equal truth, in fact, it seldom does.

I think I've actually been an atheist and a progressive for my entire adult life, but was unwiling to admit or accept it. I've come to embrace both views - because I came to them by an honest and thorough examination versus an unexamined belief. I love it!

Great to have you aboard. I'm looking forward to reading your posts.

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Permalink Reply by Adam Lee Blake on July 21, 2010 at 12:48am

Thanks for replying! I find it refreshing to see that you also came to develop a need for the truth, I have discovered that this is an exceedingly rare trait since becoming an Atheist. It's awesome that you came to feel this way at all, and i hardly think 49 is late. I wish the rest of the world could arrive at this conclusion, what a world that would be.

Great to meet you, it's really awesome to meet like-minded people!

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Permalink Reply by LarryL on July 21, 2010 at 2:43am

It's kind of funny. Now that I have left religion, I find it absolutely fascinating! It bored me to tears when I was in "it", but now that I'm on the outside, I can't seem to get enough of it. I've read more about religion, including the dumb-ass bible, 10x more than when I was a x-tian.
Leaving religion was literally the best thing that I have ever done (except perhaps finding and marrying my wife). Leaving my political party is #2.

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Permalink Reply by Blade Of The Bunny on July 21, 2010 at 3:58am

Hey Larry, interesting that you had a transition of politics as well. I only fully realized my non-belief within the last 10 years but it was actually my politics that lead to a full realization of my atheism. I could not reconcile my ethical (political) beliefs with what the church had taught me such as homosexuality being a sin or that women should be subservient.

I then went back and examined both the teachings of the bible and proof of god's existence. I found neither to be sound and rejected it. I felt strangely peaceful during this time. I began to see how religion had infected nearly every pocket of society and collective consciousness, thus strengthening my political views.

I find your admittance of a former need for conformity very honest and it's appreciated

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Permalink Reply by LarryL on July 21, 2010 at 8:56am

Thank you Bunnys Blade

Here is a link to my introduction with more detail on my other "conversion". I love being progressive - it's much more honest and fulfilling.

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Permalink Reply by Louis on July 21, 2010 at 1:06am

You should be glad it's pretty recent so you may have a better idea of where it all began.

For me it's been about 5 years since it started going pear-shaped and I can't really remember where it all started.

I know for certain that the focus of it all was when I read the Bible cover to cover. Everything else was more or less around coming to terms with having read that incoherent anthology. I was shocked at how few answers it actually had to any pertinent question I had about anything in the world. e.g.:

Why is there suffering in the world?
Because sometimes god allows it -- or causes it.
Well why?
Because he's god -- fuck off.

Read the Book of Job, that's basically the story.

After that it was looking for answers elsewhere. The first stop on that road was other religions but they were also full of junk I couldn't believe -- like Space Jesus (I'm lookin' at you, Mormons). I tried on a few religious hats probably because I thought religion had to be part of everyone's life. Everyone had a camp and I had to find one. Then I found out I didn't need one and have been quite content since.

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Permalink Reply by Adam Lee Blake on July 21, 2010 at 1:53am

"Space Jesus" almost made me die laughing, thanks for that haha. I can definitely relate to your biblical search for answers. I would continually hit the "god works in mysterious ways" wall. How the hell is that an answer!? When I would ask my pastors where god came from (the infinite regress), they would tell me it was irrelevant.. Hell of a thing to tell a kid who wants to know everything..

That rocks that you find yourself content after 5 years as an Atheist, I like that!

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Permalink Reply by Dave Rogers on July 21, 2010 at 8:07am

Twelve long years of Catholic nuns and priests did me in. By the time I left high school, I knew all religions were created by man. (Virgin births and an infallible pope were the kickers for me.) It took another 20 years to know all gods were created by man too. Also, 9/11 helped put the last nail in my agnostic coffin. Two years ago "Religilous" helped make me realize I'm more anti-religious now and indirectly led me here to A/N just over a year ago.

Welcome!

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Permalink Reply by Gwaithmir on July 22, 2010 at 11:58am

My early life was quite similar in that I went through the whole Catholic indoctrination mill. I also read the bible and found its God to be little more than an egotistical, insecure bully no better than Hitler. I left high school with serious doubts about Catholicism and Christianity in general.

I was fortunate to attend a secular college where I met many students of other faiths and even a few atheists. Serious conversations about religion started my on a long path of comparative religious study. By the early 1980's I was convinced that all religions were human inventions. I finally came out as an atheist in 1982 and soon joined American Atheists.

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Permalink Reply by Grace Fitzpatrick on July 23, 2010 at 1:20am

i didn't deconvert until I contracted Multiple Sclerosis. The dr who diagnosed me told me MS was god's curse on me for being fat. I told her god doesn't give people diseases and if she passed high school science, she should know this. I hung on for awhile but getting MS and discovering that no one in the history of the disease had ever merited a miracle cure from the big guy just hammered the nails in the coffin of religion for me. I've been happier as an atheist ever since. So much for atheists being miserable!