Atheists: Did you choose to become an athiest, or was it the only path you could take?
by 
MrJosh
ANSWERS: 16
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I don't know why this question was downrated since it seemed a legite one to ask, so ++++. I am not a full blown atheist, but I think I am slowly headed down that path as I learn more about religion, myself, and history. I think it is more of a conclusion than a last resort though.
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I never chose to be an atheist, I just became one over time with the more I contemplated and studied my beliefs. I use to be a very big Christian actually.
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Chose it.
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I grew up catholic, went to catholic school then become a scientist.
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I was an agnostic until i began studying A-level Religious studies, and the more i found out about chritianity the more i found i could not beleive in it, so i guess it was the only path i could take. x
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It was never a conscious choice - it just seemed to be a path I went down. I'm always open for changing my mind, part of me is always looking for a reason to change my mind actually, but no it just seemed like the only option.
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Let me ask you this, when did you realize there was no Santa Clause and that good little boys and girls get rewarded, it was all just a story to get you to go to sleep so mom and dad could put presents under the tree? through history men have manipulated other men into paying there taxes and doing Gods will according to the men in charge through the fear of reprisal from God, and it works; people are still scarred of some higher power thats going make them accountable in the next life; Atheists believe that once your dead then theres nothing, I dont believe in both, there is an energy attached to every living thing and were part of that same energy in nature, energy cannot be destroyed nor created it simply changes form, upon death we instantly loose a small amount of unknown weight, sceptics call it perspiration, maybe there right; all the same there is more evidence to me that weve been here before like actors in a theater, only thing that changes is the play
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I didn't choose to be an atheist, it chose me! :) All my life experiences have lead to that conclusion. Rational thought and logical reasoning will steer most anyone to atheism.
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I didn't really choose it. Sometimes I wish I was a Christian. I enjoy going to youth group with my friend but feel akward when they start talking religion but I can't really help it. I just don't believe in it. Science disproves much of what the bible says.
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First I realised that the Christian god did not exist, then I realised that neither did the others. After that it was the only path I could take. For me to try to choose otherwise is a bit like trying to force yourself to believe in Santa Claus (complete with flying reindeer and elves).
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Like all children I was born agnostic and as I was growing up I was fed the usual amount of godaganda at school, prayers every morning and hymns, only none of it stuck. I was always fascinated by the church going parents of my friends. They all seemed to have such a small world view and were almost crippled by the weight of their beliefs. After reading about numerous religions I gave up as they all seemed to basically say the same things - Believe or die, our god is bigger than your god, only what we say is good everything else is bad, if you don't understand something then it must be evil, don't ask questions we've got all the answers. And so on ad nauseaum. When you shine the light of rationality on a religion it shrivels and dies and I guess that after a while I became to rational and logical for religion to appear anymore than just a badly written story. So I guess Atheism chose me. Which is cool as I get to pick and choose all the good bits about life and feel no guilt or the need to thank my invisible friend for doing so.
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That's an interesting question that's not easy to answer. I am the kind of person who like to see reasons. I analyze things - always have even as a kid. Neither of my parents are scientists - yet I was drawn to the sciences very early. I never accepted answers like "Airplanes fly because the wings hold them up". I'd ask why? and Why... Am I that way by choice? I doubt it. I feel there must be some genetic component as well as some thing(s) in my early environment that nudged me in that direction. Now, as an adult, I certainly could choose to act like a believer and even try hard to convince myself that I am. But I very seriously doubt I actually could believe in something for which there is no evidence. So I certainly chose not to bother pretending but I'm not sure how much choice I have in not accepting irrational proposition. +5
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Once you realize how ridiculous religious beliefs are, its hard (impossible?) to choose to believe them.
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i chose it. becouse everything let me down so much. every answer that came had some kind of loop-hole that made it seem like it fit to the question. I beleive in what i want to and then when i realize it's not real i'll let go and think about what do do next.
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I didn't choose to become an Atheist and I had choices, however, I chose to remain in the state in which I was born
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As a kid I believed, but as an adult I lost the ability to think magically. I tried for many years to believe in god. I read the bible and went to services for many years in an attempt to believe, but it is just impossible for me. I can't believe in something just because I want to.
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