162 Responses to “Tell us your story!”

1. reluctantatheist says:

   April 25, 2007 at 3:14 pm

   epictetus:
   Hey, welcome.
   Say hey to Epaphroditus for me, wouldja?
2. evilatheistconquerer says:

   April 25, 2007 at 9:48 pm

   epictetus,
   You know, I actually thought about doing something to confirm my atheist beliefs, but everything I thought of would either take too much time (somehow renouncing being a catholic) or too much money (a tatoo of the atheist symbol). Though if I ever get the money or find out how to renounce being a catholic, I’ll definitely do it. I think you need to figure out something to do to celebrate your new beliefs on your own though. We all have different tastes. You could even just bake yourself a cake or buy a shirt or a bumper sticker. I know it’s not like in religions where you actually have to do a whole ceremony, but it’s still nice to do a little something to celebrate (plus I’m used to celebrating everything; my family celebrates birthdays of people that are dead, supposedly out of love, but I think they just like cake and wine).

   Holidays to celebrate? Well, there is Atheist Day on April 14, and Darwin Day (I have no clue when that one is except that it was earlier this year). A lot of atheists celebrate the winter solstice instead of christmas. I like celebrating May Day just because I like to run around naked in the woods. Personally, I think we should each just make up holidays to celebrate.

   Oh, you reminded me of something when you said you were the only one that you know of in your family that is an atheist. I always thought I was the only one in my family too, but I recently found out that my oldest sister and her husband are both agnostic/humanist and my maternal uncle is atheist. My uncle’s son used to be atheist until he had 3 heart attacks at the age of 32 (he had a heart problem when he was born) and started going to church again. Before that he never went and his wife and young daughter didn’t go either. My point is that you never know, maybe there are more freethinkers in your family than you realize.

   And welcome to the blog. Don’t mind the crazies that preach about god. They usually go away if you don’t notice them.
3. Barbiebrains says:

   June 3, 2007 at 7:26 pm

   I have been on this blog for a while but have not had a chance to write down my story. I grew up Catholic in a very tightly knit, huge, extended Mexican family/clan where taboos and superstitions are rampant (from apparitions of the Virgin Mary to ghosts of dead relatives). When I was 18, they even took me on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, Yugoslavia (before the war) to “visit” the Virgin Mary in her most recent apparitions. My family threatened me with ostracism when I renounced the faith and decided I would not get married in the church…I admitted to being an atheist and all hell broke lose. It has taken me years to rebuild ties…and all because of a ridiculous fairytale I chose to reject. Being honest about who you are is very liberating.
4. atheistinafoxhole says:

   July 25, 2007 at 4:43 pm

   My religiousness lasted until about my Junior year in High School.
   Both of my parents went to Catholic Church when I was growing up. I think my mom was originally baptist, I remember when she converted. I also remember when my parents got married in the Catholic Church. My parents were initially married in a baptist or methodist church, I forget which one. Anyway a few years and a couple fo kids down the road my Dad talked to a preist and he told him that it didn’t count unless they were married Catholic. Maybe it was my Grandpa on my father’s side who studied to be a priest until he was drafted. He used to joke to me when I signed up for the army that it had taken a man who was studying to be a priest for three years and in eight weeks turned him into a poorly paid killer. Both of my parents are very smart, rational people. When I started to question all the stuff I was taught in CCD (Catholic Sunday School) my Dad answered them easily. He answered them not by trying to base it in reality at all. He simply told me that the stuff in the Bibles were miracles and there was no way people could ever explain them. He treated them as myths. Myths that he chose to believe because he liked them. When my Dad would talk about the church, he would talk not about hell or souls but about community. I now realize that he is more like an agnostic but a catholic one. I don’t mean christian either, once in a conversation about Fundamentalists he called them animnals. But that was what kept me a believer for so long, that my family didn’t really believe all that hard. I think my dad likes the cultural aspects of Catholicism more than the religious aspects. I am the second of seven kids. I remember growing up that I was stressed that my littlest sister and my baby brother hadn’t been baptised yet. My dads lack of concern made me think about how seriously he really took it all. I remember when I was little and would worry about missing church because of illness or othe rreasons my dad would say don’t worry about it, God understands. He also thinks people who hate gays must have some personal problems that they channel into hatred of others. So they don’t really have that crazy christian viewpoint. I finally gave up believing for a couple of reasons. I never really liked the idea of confession and as such damned myself to hell. Also, I don’t know where I got it from but I heard about how people would say it’s a sin to question church dogma, and that really turned me off. I remeber going to a church pre K program when I was little and the lady in charge told us how the water from Noah’s flood dissapeared. She said the oceans were a lot shallower before the flood and that the ice caps were smaller. I came home all excited and told my dad. He told me that it was nonsense, that’s one of the times he told me about how trying to explain miracles through bad science is a bad idea. He isn’t happy that I’m an atheist, but he isn’t really upset. I think he told me once that when I’m older and calm down I’ll go back to the church. I don’t know if he actually thinks I’ll ever believe but will decide, like he did, that the culture and community of a good catholic church are good things to have. The ones I go to ask for money (what church doesn’t they have no other possible source of income but donations.) but they are really laid back about it. When I went to CCD they gave us collection envelopes to hand in on Sunday but went out of their way to point out that they were just to track attendance, we didn’t have to put any money in. The church has pledge drives for stuff for the school or a new community building but they only ask briefly or sometimes not at all and just put a sign up outside in the back parking lot. They do a lot of charity stuff too. However, I read some of your horror stories and shudder. When I first joined the Army in basic training, htey gave us a free day away. That was a program set up by a church to take all of us that wanted for a free meal and a day off, they provided cell phones and other recreational stuff. It was a nice thing, the only thing was they made us attend a service. OK I’m an atheist but for a free day off I’ll humor them for an hour. The thing was he gave us some bullshit fire and brimstone sermon, I think the point was if you don’t accept Jesus now you’ll die in a car crash on the way home. Then he gave us some speil about how we don’t see you guys as dollar signs but it cost over $100,000 a day to do this (total bullshit right there) then after all this we don’t want to take your money but I’m going to guilt trip the hell out of you they passed out the collection plate and put up on the screen in the back a bible verse that said The Lord loves the generous giver. To tell you the truth I was impressed at the audacity of this guy. Then I get into the actual Army and I hear from some of my friends about these mega churches that actually request your tax return forms (W2) so they can make sure they are getting their 10%!
   Talk about culture shock. I actually saw that as a joke on the Simpsons years before (Rev. Lovejoy threatens the congregation with audits). There is too much of this type of behavior out there and I can’t help but wonder how people don’t see through it. I mean “Creation Science” and the moral majority and Intelligent Design and Trinity Broadcast Network and, and, and, the list just goes on.
   Anyway I just got off a 24 hour staight guard duty so I apologize for the rambling and the spelling errors but I’m going to sleep now. It was good to get that all out of my system. Thanks.
5. V1ktor says:

   February 4, 2008 at 12:16 am

   The Plunge of Reason

   Brooklyn, NY. September 22nd, 2002. I was sitting behind my desk doing my homework. The midnight was close and I had to go to school early in the morning. I spent the whole day at Six Flags, it was my first time. I enjoyed the day and even won a stuffed donkey.My mom was sitting on the bed, next to my desk, watching TV. The late evening was slowly coming to an end, while an early morning was slowly creeping up on us. I was in the middle of my math homework as the phone rang.

   ?Hello?? I answered the phone.
   ?Oh?Hey Uncle Igor. Yes, my mom is right here. Hold on a second.? I was surprised with the phone call from Ukraine, they had never called before.
   I handed the phone to my mom as she was looking at me surprised. She answered the phone.

   ?Grandma died?, was the first thing I heard from her as she looked at me. I saw her eyes fill with tears. She kept repeating, ?Tell me it?s a lie?Tell me it?s a lie?? while holding the phone. I was done with my homework, it wasn?t done and I didn?t care. I wanted to be a man, but the tears overpowered me. That was the night of a lifetime, I will never forget it. Just a thought of that night causes my tear glands to stress, and my eyes get moist. At this point my faith died, even though I didn?t know that yet. Looking back, I can see how I changed and how it affected me.

   The first stage was blame. I began blaming God for taking my grandma, woman who raised me and instilled family values in me. When my mom went to USA in 1996 to work and make money, I was left with my grandma. I remember that last night when three of us were together. They were both crying, and my mom was trying to comfort my grandma by saying that it was temporary. Eight years later my grandma died?my mom never saw her.

   I spent a good portion of the fifteen years of my life, at that point, praying to God asking every single day for health for my family and especially for my grandma and mom as they were the closest to me. I don?t know what it was, bad reception to heaven after I moved to US or malpractice on the side of God but the prayer failed ? miserably. My grandma died in a hospital while having pneumonia. She died of a heart failure, because doctors did not take in account her age (64) when giving her antibiotics. Her heart couldn?t handle it, so it stopped beating.

   At that time my mom did not have papers (green card). She was married and her application was somewhere in process. She had to choose between her only son and the funeral of a mother who she did not see for the past eight years. If she were to choose to go attend the funeral she wouldn?t be able to return. She chose me, her son. One of the hardest decisions of her life. In the end, she asked friends to videotape the funeral. I saw it once, and I hope I will never see that tape again. It was one of the worst things I?ve seen in my entire life, I refuse to watch it again.

   I cannot recall the exact time when I let Jesus Christ into my life.
   I cannot recall the exact time when I let reason into my life, and threw the Bible in a trash can.

   I know I turned atheist my sophomore year in high school, that was the year when I took Earth Science class. My mind was open, looking for anything better than God. The Big Bang Theory got me started, the Evolution Theory got me going, and I?m still walking strong with my atheistic beliefs as solid as diamonds.

   Today, almost six years later, I?m glad I took that plunge towards atheism back in high school. I cannot believe I could ever think that God existed. When Atheism opens your mind you start seeing things as they really are, and see the Bible turn into nothing more than a comic book.

   I heard people say that I have a grudge against God. That?s what I thought at first. However, today I know it was not a grudge. How can someone have a grudge against someone or something that doesn?t exist? It was reason in disguise, and it took me time to realize it. When people say, ?You?re going to hell. You?re stupid, and don?t know anything.? I peacefully reply, ?If I?m the stupid one,how can you trust a guy who spoke with a bush on fire? Oh and I?d rather go to hell for the company, then to heaven for a view.?

   I posted this story on my 2[Y] blog.
   http://www.viktorix.com/?p=48

   V1ktor
6. hector says:

   March 4, 2008 at 1:08 am

   well i’m 15 and i guess i consider myself an atheist. i go to a private, catholic high school which i like but i have become disturbed and annoyed at everything my religion teacher tells me and the class. i have been raised catholic but never really believed any of the stuff i was taught. one day, i read about atheism and the problems of evil and i decided that there just was no god. i have tried to believe and did for a while but every time i seem to realize something about religion that just doesn’t make sense or isn’t logically explainable according to the church’s own viewpoints. the bible seems like a bunch of stories forcefully strung together to make odd and absurd morals that just aren’t humanly attainable. it is my sincere hope that the world in which i grow up will be void of such idiotic and outdated myths as christianity and all religions are. and i’m glad i have found a place to post my ideas
7. alatham says:

   March 4, 2008 at 10:12 am

   hector,

   Welcome to reality. It’s a sticky place sometimes, but at least it isn’t sugarcoated like theism.

   One thing that I should mention is that it’s not always a good idea to go around saying there is no god. The real problem with theism is that the question “Does God exist?” is nonsense.

   Allow me to explain; Every single theist on this planet has their own idea of what constitutes “god.” They may say they get their idea from only a handful of sources (the Bible, the Koran, the Book of Mormon, the Matrix, etc), but in the end each theist comes up with a personal god-idea that matches only themselves. If you were able to compare and two theist’s god-ideas, you would find that they never match up exactly. This explains why there are so many different sects of Christianity.

   So, when someone asks “Does God exist?” you should say “please define God.” instead of saying “no.”

   Since we could never disprove all the possible god-ideas, it’s not really proper to say that no god exists. For example, I could say that I believe the sun is god and there’s no way to disprove that. But it is correct to say “I don’t believe in god(s).” In my example you could say “I don’t believe the sun is god.”

   The position I’m describing is known as “weak atheism” and I’d venture a guess that the vast majority of atheists are “weak.” “Weak” isn’t a good word to describe it, but it works when compared to “strong atheism,” which is the position that states “no gods exist.”

   You can read about the difference here:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weak_and_strong_atheism

   I hope you stick around and ask us any questions you may have. But I would avoid using old threads such as this one, it’s easy to miss new posts that way. I would also suggest inserting a few paragraph breaks in between thoughts, it makes things easier to read and respond to.

   Enjoy your new-found free will.
8. alatham says:

   March 4, 2008 at 10:15 am

   One more thing,

   I wasn’t meaning to dissuade you from Strong Atheism if that’s what you choose to believe. But you should be aware that it’s a much more difficult position to defend when someone calls you to task.

   Weak Atheism is very easy to defend, on the other hand. The person making the claim has the burden of proof. Since there have been no observations of a deity, theists arguments have no substance.
9. hector says:

   March 4, 2008 at 10:13 pm

   yes, i get your point. i did read something about burden of proof on wikipedia and it does make sense that if you assert weak atheism then the theist making religious claims would have to prove himself.

   and a note to the not-so-wise: wikipedia is one of the more reliable sources i have used and i believe that the only reason people think it is not reliable is because major encyclopedias like britannica have purposefully spread bad publicity about wikipedia in order to reduce competition
10. FlyingWeasel says:

    March 4, 2008 at 11:44 pm

    hector:

    yes wikipedia is generally reliable, but at the same time, its content is not rigorously reviewed before being published, as information is in encyclopedias and scholarly journals. consequently it makes an easy and convinient refference but can also be used by people to support ridiculous positions that have been published on the site and not yet corrected.
11. lindsayj000 says:

    June 3, 2008 at 10:58 am

    I tried learning about many different religions in search of one that I fit in to(Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism). None of them felt quite right to me, but I assumed that there must be a god that is behind this complicated thing called life on Earth. There must be divinity in what makes me me, my soul and personality, etc. Then, in graduate school at the age of 23, I finally realized that what makes me me is really just a combination of the emotions I feel in my body, the thoughts I have in my head, my memories, and my new experiences, and that those “magical moments” in my life that are often explained as being gifts from God, the power of those moments is explainable via the natural world and physiology. I realized that the “presence of God” that I thought I felt in church, was really just the combination of the organ music, the choir, the love of my friends/family, and the beauty of the chapel architecture and artwork uplifting my emotions, which are directly linked to my physical being. I suddenly realized that all along there was actually no god there at all. What was really there were my six senses (seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, thinking, and feeling) which were allowing me to feel emotion and appreciate art, beauty, love, music, and which were also allowing me to think logically through the concept of god until I concluded that there is none, and there doesn’t need to be. This is what makes me me, what makes my life rich, and keeps me happy. The natural world and being a human is in itself the magic.
12. tarma says:

    June 3, 2008 at 11:07 am

    lindsayj000,

    What a wonderful and eloquent story. Thank you for sharing.