How long have you been an Atheist/Agnostic?

Naikon

Me, I would say around 12 years at this stage. I always had doubts, even at a young age. Atheist btw.

Turtwig

It is natural in our journey of faith to have doubts. It wouldn't be faith if we didn't feel challenged by it. There are some nights where I myself find it difficult to sleep with pondering doubts of my faith. Each time I've needed Him though, he's always been there for me and He will be there for you too. Deep down I feel you still believe, you just need to open your heart again. Seek and you shall find the Lord of Enceladus, most reflective deity in the solar system.
Peace,
Malty

Tin Foil Hat

Since my mid teens, so about 20 years at this stage.

MagicMarker

Since I was born.

Rev Hellfire

Since about 12:23pm.
Man, the crazzzy stuff I believed this morning...

Mark Hamill

Ever since I've had the ability to seriously examine religious claims I've been an atheist.

antiskeptic

For about 38 years. Then I became a Christian.

Canis Lupus

antiskeptic wrote: »

For about 38 years. Then I became a Christian.

That's what old age does to the mind

I've been atheist since early teens so say, 17-18 years?

Max Power1

I'd always been curious/skeptic, but I'd say around the time of confirmation Id lost what belief I had.

Went the way of santa, tooth fairy etc. (I genuinely believed at one point that everyone thought the same - ie that adults didnt believe in god and were just pretending to do so for the kids "benefit")

rainbow kirby

Never really believed, but I would have described myself as an atheist from primary school onwards... so 15-17 years at this stage?

Penn

Dunno. It was just a pretty gradual thing. Interest and belief in God/Religion just kept going down after the age of maybe 11 or so.

Really firm "There is no God" came a few years after that, so probably about 11 years.

Ickle Magoo

I was never convinced of a god in the first place - so I've never been anything other than an atheist. First started having chats about not understanding the whole godly dealio with my dad when I was four or five.

Sarky

Not really sure there's a definitive turning point. There was a long period of doubt, or confusion about how x could be true when y. To paraphrase Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman, I didn't so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards.

Knasher

About a year, so to compensate I've become really opinionated and obnoxious really fast.

Turtwig

Knasher wrote: »

About a year, so to compensate I've become really opinionated and obnoxious really fast.

Woah...

Friend,Have you heard the good news about our Lord Enceladus? He Loves you very much and wants to be a much bigger part of your wonderful life.

Knasher

Malty_T wrote: »

Woah...

Friend,Have you heard the good news about our Lord Enceladus? He Loves you very much and wants to be a much bigger part of your wonderful life.

Finally I see the light and welcome Lord Enceladus into my life. Just to be clear though are we talking about the moon or the giant, I'm willing to worship either I just need to know which I'm venerating.

Turtwig

Knasher wrote: »

Finally I see the light and welcome Lord Enceladus into my life. Just to be clear though are we talking about the moon or the giant, I'm willing to worship either I just need to know which I'm venerating.

Welcome brother/sister

Lord Enceladus, the moon and giant. It is our belief that He created life there first and then spread that life to Earth by transforming into a Giant and travelling to the early Earth. Scientific evidence supports the assertion that there could well be life on Enceladus and it is only a matter time dear bro/sis before we unravel some of Enceladus greater truths.

Love,
Malt

bacon?

Early teens I guess.

Undergod

About 6 or 7 years.

Corkfeen

I'm guessing around 10 years but Malty_T may possibly have converted me away from it. Does it come with some After-Life benefits alongside potential for brimstone and lava, malty?

Siuin

I've had pretty strong doubts about the existence of God since I was about 13 years old and spent a few years simply being pissed off with the Catholic church in general, but it took a Russian boyfriend to make me the proud atheist I am today :P
Religion? Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiet!

perfectisthe

It never rang true to me, even as a young child I constantly questioned teachers in religion class, so always I guess.

Turtwig

Corkfeen wrote: »

I'm guessing around 10 years but Malty_T may possibly have converted me away from it. Does it come with some After-Life benefits alongside potential for brimstone and lava, malty?

There are all the benefits of the after life (plus many more!) with no potential fire and brimstone like punishments.:D

miss no stars

4th class:

kid 1 to kid 2: do you believe in santa?
kid 2: (trying to look cool) no! gawd.
kid 1: do you believe in god?
kid 2: well duh
kid 1: so if you believe in god why don't you believe in santa?


miss no stars (who discovered her mother wrapping her "santa" presents on christmas eve aged just 6 and knew the deal from then on) sitting next to this happening thinks: "hmm good point... there really is no evidence for a god at all"

Spent a couple of years skeptical, gradually getting moreso, prepared for confirmation, bought the clothes, restaurant booked, family invited, hair appointment booked, trial run had already proceeded at the hairdressers. Week before confirmation the parish priest says "Now, confirmation is you confirming that you believe in the teachings of the catholic church"

Miss no stars: :eek: oh ****

but I could practically smell the money at that point so i figured sure feck it, what's a little oil on my forehead anyway and I get a big day out. Think I was worried I'd be made to take the new clothes back, too.

I also distinctly remember refusing to take the pledge.

So around 11 I had pretty much decided it was all a crock of shit and was already quite comfortable accepting that when we die, we die and that's that.

strobe

miss no stars wrote: »

4th class:

kid 1 to kid 2: do you believe in santa?
kid 2: (trying to look cool) no! gawd.
kid 1: do you believe in god?
kid 2: well duh
kid 1: so if you believe in god why don't you believe in santa?


miss no stars (who discovered her mother wrapping her "santa" presents on christmas eve aged just 6 and knew the deal from then on) sitting next to this happening thinks: "hmm good point... there really is no evidence for a god at all"

Spent a couple of years skeptical, gradually getting moreso, prepared for confirmation, bought the clothes, restaurant booked, family invited, hair appointment booked, trial run had already proceeded at the hairdressers. Week before confirmation the parish priest says "Now, confirmation is you confirming that you believe in the teachings of the catholic church"

Miss no stars: :eek: oh ****

but I could practically smell the money at that point so i figured sure feck it, what's a little oil on my forehead anyway and I get a big day out. Think I was worried I'd be made to take the new clothes back, too.

I also distinctly remember refusing to take the pledge.

So around 11 I had pretty much decided it was all a crock of shit and was already quite comfortable accepting that when we die, we die and that's that.

Ahh Capitalism. Apologies, you aren't all bad buddy.

CiaranMT

Mid teens came the unsure, awkward emergence into agnosticism. I remember trying ever so hard to pray

Late teens I guess I became atheistic, when I properly looking at science, the size of the universe, and the full force of how petty a species we are really hit me.

So a couple of years now.

G.K.

Never truly seen sense in being religious. I went along with it all through first 2 schools, wherwe it was important - but I've dropped all signs of it in secondary school. I find religion interesting, but I'm not a believer.

Morphie

Malty_T wrote: »

It is natural in our journey of faith to have doubts. It wouldn't be faith if we didn't feel challenged by it. There are some nights where I myself find it difficult to sleep with pondering doubts of my faith. Each time I've needed Him though, he's always been there for me and He will be there for you too. Deep down I feel you still believe, you just need to open your heart again. Seek and you shall find the Lord of Enceladus, most reflective deity in the solar system.
Peace,
Malty

I lack this, this entire way of thinking, and is just one of the reasons why I am glad my parents spared me the the horror of being bought up with faith. I'm sorry if you were just being some what sarcastic, but I believe there are quite a few genuine people like this in the world. Not met many of them.

I don't mean to be offensive, but when I see people who are in such a way, my skin crawls.

I only ever got serious about identifying myself an Athiest when I was about 19, 4 years ago. I had always ignored it until I realised how serious religion was in the world. Before then, I was as good as athiest anyway, never have believed in a god.

Ush1

I got suspicious at around 13 when my mates were telling me that don't bother about a religion test because you can't be wrong.

nozzferrahhtoo

Naikon wrote: »

Me, I would say around 12 years at this stage. I always had doubts, even at a young age. Atheist btw.

Always. Never believed it. Think I was around 12 when it first dawned on me that other people genuinely did. I just thought it was all "story time" in school when the bible came out. No one told me this stuff was meant to be true.

JBnaglfar

I never believed in god growing up. At about age 6 I thought maybe it was just something that was complex and I would understand when I was older, within a couple of years I realised that it was actually ridiculous.
It was a bit strange growing up thinking there was no god pretty much surrounded by adults who believed. I guess I viewed being brought to mass by my mother as a kind of social experiment. I remember sitting there and trying to figure out if everyone else actually believed in god, or just went along with it. I'd say the fact that my dad was, and still is, agnostic and I understood what that meant made it easier for the young JBnaglfar to feel comfortable not believing in god.

petebricquette

I probably stopped when I was around 11 or so. Didn't stop me making my Confirmation though. Then as I got older I realised just how ridiculous the whole thing was. Thankfully, no one in my immediate family is particularly religious.

Daftendirekt

Morphie wrote: »

I lack this, this entire way of thinking, and is just one of the reasons why I am glad my parents spared me the the horror of being bought up with faith. I'm sorry if you were just being some what sarcastic, but I believe there are quite a few genuine people like this in the world. Not met many of them.

I don't mean to be offensive, but when I see people who are in such a way, my skin crawls.

I only ever got serious about identifying myself an Athiest when I was about 19, 4 years ago. I had always ignored it until I realised how serious religion was in the world. Before then, I was as good as athiest anyway, never have believed in a god.

Considering Enceladus is a moon of Saturn, I think it's a safe bet that he's being a little bit ironic here.

If I'm wrong though, who'd have thought this very forum would give birth to a new cult of moon-worshippers?

J_E

I don't think I ever really bought into religion but I was dead scared to go against the fold. At one point in my early childhood I was convinced that I was one of the only people on Earth who didn't believe :eek:

Humanist here.

DazMarz

I'd say agnostic since I was about 14 or so.

Then recent events and even more of opening my eyes from when I was about 18 and on made me an atheist, 100%... and much happier for it. I love laughing at religious people, the fools...:D

Turtwig

DazMarz wrote: »

I'd say agnostic since I was about 14 or so.

Then recent events and even more of opening my eyes from when I was about 18 and on made me an atheist, 100%... and much happier for it. I love laughing at religious people, the fools...:D

What makes you so certain they are wrong?:pac:

Turtwig

Daftendirekt wrote: »

Considering Enceladus is a moon of Saturn, I think it's a safe bet that he's being a little bit ironic here.

If I'm wrong though, who'd have thought this very forum would give birth to a new cult of moon-worshippers?

You are lucky Lord Enceladus is all forgiving. Other deities might not look at your vain attempted mockery of Him so nicely. Brother, I shall say a few prayers for you and wish you well. We are not a cult, of that Lord Enceladus and I ensure you.

Peace and Love.
Malt

Da Shins Kelly

Since about 15 I'd say. I wasn't raised in a particularly strict religious household. My parents would call themselves Catholics if asked, but I'm not sure if my mother especially sees it as being anything much more than a form of identity. My mother rarely discusses religion, and the only time I've ever heard her coming close to definitively stating her position on the possibility of an afterlife is when she said that she 'doubted whether there's any such thing as heaven'. Other than that, she refuses to be engaged in debate about it. I reckon she's an agnostic. My dad says he believes in God and heaven and all that, but he's not very into it. He doesn't go to Mass or pray very often. So I didn't grow up in a household where it was that big a deal or discussed very often. I only really began to think seriously about it myself in my teens. When I turned 15 I became skeptical and started to read a lot more about it. I got into evolutionary biology quite a bit, and became very interested in that. I also began to read some Christopher Hitchens stuff which broadened my horizons further about the social implications relating to religion. I also learned more about science - reading a lot and watching lots of documentaries about the universe and the natural world. This still interests me today, years after I realised that I don't care for religion. I think it was basically my introduction to science that stunted any possibility of getting into religion. I'm not a particularly sciencey person (I love English literature and languages in fact), but I have enough of an interest to realise how incredible certain aspects of science are, particularly areas of physics and biology. I think I probably credit this most with my becoming an atheist. The universe is so amazing as it is, and there are so many unanswered questions, but some of the answers we do have are simply inspiring, and the people who are working on these questions and answers are incredible people. Some of the things science has to offer, I find far more awesome than anything religion tells us. I find it much more comforting to know that there are people out there actively trying to figure it all out and give us the answers we want, rather than simply pointing to an ancient text for reassurance. If only science wasn't depicted as being so inaccessible, I'm sure more people would realise how much it has to offer us in terms of answers, and just how important it is.

c_man

About ten years now I suppose.

Still, it's just a phase right?!