The World’s Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

Q) Who convinced you to become an Atheist?

I originally posted this question in the Atheists who love Science! Forum. The feedback has been great and sometimes a little comical, so I decided to also post it in the Athiest Humor forum to share the fun.

I am writing an opinion piece and would like participation in this informal survey.
Wanted to include most of the reasons people use to pick a religion, or think influence people to pick a religion (since many now claim atheism is just another religion). It does sound silly when they are reversed to be reasons of religion abandonment (for perspective).
I know the question is fundamentally wrong and the answers seem silly, but it is to help keep the selection narrow and to prove/disprove my hypothesis:

How were you convinced to become an Atheist?
(Select the most applicable single answer)
A) A billboard (or sign)
B) A book
C) A miracle
D) I’m not an atheist
E) I don’t know
F) I wasn’t convinced, it was a realization of who I was
G) A specific person (not an authored book)
H) I was mad at my god(s)
I) I have always been an atheist
J) My god is an atheist, therefore I am an atheist
K) By physical or verbal threats
L) I signed a contract and now I’m stuck being an atheist
M) I had to become atheist to marry my spouse
N) Atheists are cool, and I wanted to be like them
O) Other (please explain in one sentence)

2 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joseph P on April 2, 2011 at 10:31am

Wow, impressive vocabulary on a 10 year-old.

Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on April 2, 2011 at 12:23pm

F. Around the beginning of my Junior year in college I realized that religious claims hadn't made sense to me in some time. Occam's Razor applied.

Permalink Reply by rockytij on April 6, 2011 at 2:07pm

G) The straw that broke the camel's back for me was an atheist co-worker who first introduced me to the "problem of evil".

Permalink Reply by Scott Blunt on April 6, 2011 at 8:34pm

I wasn’t convinced, it was a realization of who I was and after growing up in the 7th day adventist church.

Permalink Reply by Laura on April 20, 2011 at 1:55pm

B. A book - the Bible. Finally reading it made me realize how horrible and, ultimately, ridiculous it is.

Permalink Reply by todwith1d on April 24, 2011 at 7:26am

Permalink Reply by Anna Vos on April 25, 2011 at 11:48am

F) I wasn’t convinced, it was a realization of who I was

I was raised a christian and I went to church every Sunday until I was 16. When I was around 12 years old I realized that there was no way there is any god, and that believing the bible is even more ridiculous.

Permalink Reply by Joe Mathews on April 27, 2011 at 9:30pm

F) I wasn’t convinced, it was a realization of who I was

Permalink Reply by Pat on May 5, 2011 at 8:41pm

B - Actually 2 books. The first was the play Inherit the Wind which I read when I was about 13 in the early 1960's. I then went and then read the Bible. The conclusion was "You've got to be sh&*ting me! What a load of horse manure!"

Permalink Reply by Cascadian Rationalist on May 5, 2011 at 9:06pm

B - HHGTTG, Douglas Adams
G - Person who suggested the book: My bible studies teacher in 7th grade (LAWLS)
F - "Wait, my CAT isn't going to heaven??" and "Wait, if everyone's 'born into' a specific religion, doesn't that make them all equally acceptable (or falsifiable)?", along with being told by the SDA church who ran the school, that my going to church on Sundays meant I was going to hell.

Permalink Reply by ɟǝןıx dǝʇɹɐɹ on May 9, 2011 at 4:54pm