Do you remember when you were set free?

I, like many here have been an atheist for most of my life, but can remember wanting to believe in god at some point.

It was only a few months ago that I started really wondering whether or not he could exist. The funny thing is, until I started browsing through atheist forums and other webpages, I never considered the scientific proof against him. I just kept thinking about the world around me...."God's creation." I thought about the supposed "miracles," but moreover the tragedies of the planet.

I'm sure we're familiar with the many wars, genocides, holocausts, and murders that have been initiated, and continue to flourish. I came to the conclusion that I couldn't, simply couldn't worship some one that let these attrocities go on.

Now I would love to scream 'til my lungs are dry that I don't believe in god. I'm not an expert on religion nor atheism, but am very interested in learning, and giving my opinion. I just can't do it around friends and certain family members...

Ah yes, the first step to complete atheism is usually contemplating the theodicy.

Grew up with the concept of god and jesus force-fed to me from birth. Went to Lutheran church every Sunday, Sunday school after that, confirmation, the whole ball of wackiness…

Always had doubts and went through the roller coaster of “does he exist/doesn’t he exist” for many, many years. Held onto it out of habit and convenience until I was sick of wearing the mask. I still odn’t go out of my way to tell folks I’m an atheist, but I don’t hide it much. The only thing that will keep me silent in public is the fear of midwest, cornbred, wannabe Vikings who get too drunk, watch too much wrestling on television and suck jesus’ cock just a bit too hard. You know, where it gets all pruny and leaves teeth marks… that’s all I need is one of these fucking turds knowing where I live and showing up at all hours to piss on my car or some shit. And that’s not crazy of me to say; I’ve seen religious nuts in action. One named “Bubba” is now in state prison for setting an abortion clinic on fire, twice… No joke.

Got together with a rather fundie-esque girl who pressured me at one time to go back to church but I wouldn’t. She finally laid off that stuff and a couple years back I came to the conclusion that I didn’t actually buy into this god shit. I told her and thought for sure she’d want a divorce, but she seemed cool with it. This past March we decided to divorce after 20 ½ years together. And it was religion having a problem with atheism, not the other way around. She was “tolerating” me, but was insulted that I was “tolerating” her back.

So I’ve done some reading, some writing and I started frequenting FSTDT and found that there are many like-minded people out there. Sane people. And I’ve been stocking my group of friends with more atheists all the time. And I must say that the point I finally threw that shit away for good was the best I’d felt in decades. I kick myself when I think of all the self-imposed guilt and doubt I suffered through simply because me elders told me that an invisible man that they’d never seen either, was watching me jerk-off, scratch my nuts and take a shit.

If only there were a way to get those wasted years back…

[nastassja]

First of all. Your picture reminds me of my years of obsession with Tool and it distracts me.

But, I've been atheist as long as I can remember but I only started calling myself atheist last summer. Before that I drifted between agnostic, pantheist, "Religious Preference: None."

All it took was something to make me realize what I already was. When Richard Dawkins started talking about Einsteinian religion and atheism and what not in that first chapter of The God Delusion it sounded awfully like pantheism or at least some really weak version of pantheism. Bing.

I'm atheist.

I didn't even read the rest of the book until a few days later.