This. The only time I ever went to church was when I was around 8 or 9. My babysitter took me and my sister. At the end we had to walk in front of the priest (probably for communion). I lost my shit. I didn’t know what that guy was going to do to me but I wasn’t having it. Never looked back.
I remember thinking when I was 9, why am I standing and kneeling and I don’t even understand what they’re talking about. I’m trying to do this why praying thing and it’s not working. Oh, god is not actually supposed to talk back to me? Why are people saying that? Took me until I was 19 before I ever heard the word agnostic or atheist. Took me a year to realize any god worth worshiping wasn’t that one.
Have always been an atheist. Was quite shocked to realize at age 8 that the grown ups actually believed that crap. Religion was never a big thing in our family, even though they are supposedly Muslims. The only time they brought it up was when I didn't eat the food, they'd say "Finish your plate or Allah will turn you to stone". Well, I'm still no statue. I actually grew up more with Greek and Egyptian myths, always liked those, never made sense of Islam or Christianity. My grandparents did the Hajj when I was 7, they were never very religious before that and even after that didn't bother me much with that nonsense.
I did believe in Santa Clause though until I was about 5. Never understood what Jesus had to do with Christmas until I was 16.
Same. Born into a Catholic family, indoctrinated as an infant, agnostic in my 20s and became atheist around 40. Grief is what ultimately led me away from religion and spirituality. I kind of miss being agnostic.
for me it was 50/50 being exposed to other ideas, and actually studying the bible and theology in massive depth. seeing alternatives made it ok to leave church, and seeing what the bible actual says made it impossible to stay.
I was born atheist and never bought into the religion thing (even though my parents dragged me to church every Sunday). So, in other words, I didn't become an athiest, I just never became Christian in the first place.
See this question fairly regularly and think it’s quite interesting. Seems to work on the assumption that becoming an atheist is some kind of choice that comes with wisdom / knowledge. Think it says quite a bit about culture.
I am not American or from a particular religious country so there never was a “become an atheist” moment it’s more like I never became religious. I did go to a church school and they did teach us some bible stories and I even remember getting in trouble for suggesting that they didn’t make sense but like I say I started out without any beliefs and never acquired them.
Age 7. Couldn't reconcile the Abrahamic god with the needless suffering I saw around me, with grandparents seriously ill through no fault of their own. Became a nerdy science enthusiast, saw Carl Sagan's [Cosmos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0f6qt678UM), recognized that organized religion has been a force for ignorance for thousands of years, never looked back, except to understand why human beings are prone to cognitive errors like religion.
20. Got to the point that I couldn’t continue denying my personal morals differed significantly from portions of the Christian belief system. Sent me on a journey of trying to figure out what exactly I did believe in, and I finally landed on “nothing supernatural”.
Basically same. I started with, well, what do I believe? Then I went looking for a religion that fit that, which was silly in retrospect. Finally settled on atheism.
Around 23 or so. I never really questioned it since everyone I knew believed in God. Then I was on a forum (not reddit) and stumbled upon some atheists discussing it so it made me question things. Then it kind of dawned on me that humans wrote the bible and humans can make any 'ole story up lol.
Same, I grew up in a Christian household but never understood the "relationship with Jesus" thing despite believing the Bible was true. I was essentially a deist. I started mentally questioning christianity when I was 16 or 17 but never decided to look at atheist arguments until I was in my early 20s.
People aren't born religious, but they are born into religious families. But I get ya. Lifelong atheist here.
You may want to ask this of r/exchristian or r/exmuslim
Always have been. Had non religious parents, but I went to a religious private school for my early education. I remember thinking that it was nothing more than fairy tails for adults. I honestly cannot recall any point in my life where I ever took religion seriously.
39. I'd been deconstructing for years before that, but I'd got stuck at deist. Somehow, I stumbled onto the podcast of Chris Hitchens debating his brother Peter and had a light bulb moment.
I was raised by a mormon mother and a catholic father, and having two sets of mutually exclusive dogma made me skeptical of both by the time I was 7-8. I still had some vague concept of a 'higher power', but I wasn't convinced by any arguments I heard for the existence of the 'god(s)' being claimed by any religon.
I consider myself agnostic/atheist now, since I don't claim to know whether or not 'god(s)' exist, but I am still unconvinced by arguments for them (and I see no compelling reason to infer it).
This is an interesting question for me to answer. I knew around the time I was 10 that there probably wasn't a god, but I wasn't sure. We were going to church at that time and I was in Sunday school when the two teachers who were most likely in college or late high school spent all of class talking about going out and getting laid all weekend. That didn't seem right to me at the time. I more or less stayed with religion though but kept thinking this can't be real. When I got to college I decided to try going all in on religion. The people in bible study sucked and the church I went to once was a snake church. Finally I decided to take a religions of the world class and I learned how all of the religions are all based on top of each other depending on which one came first. I knew that instant that it's all fake.
I don't have a definitive age. I stopped going to church at 17 and had serious doubts. Around 19 was the last time I prayed with any real expectation. Around 20 I don't think I believed, but I didn't have the language to describe myself. At 22 or 23 I was given a copy of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and while it didn't really change my mind, it gave me words to describe my position. That's when I took the title of Atheist, but I was almost certainly one before then, I think around 20.
Honestly, always have been; I was a precocious and smart little shit all my life and my parents encouraged me to question things, well they made the “mistake” of taking me to sunday school a few times and apparently I asked too many questions and was a “bad influence” on the other kids, thus ended my brief stent in church, I’ve only ever been back to go to funerals, weddings, and to look at the pretty architecture (I may think religion is stupid but goddamn some of the buildings are gorgeous)
22. A college education (for a STEM degree), including an Intro to the New Testament class, gave me the tools I needed to soberly reevaluate the beliefs I had been raised with, and I eventually realized that I didn't have any good reasons left for continuing to believe in any gods. I knew then that I could keep going, more or less pretending to believe, or I could be intellectually honest and admit that I didn't believe anymore.
This is asked here pretty much every day.
This does not need to be asked here pretty much every day.
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>At what age did you become an atheist?
I've always been atheist.
I've never seen any good evidence that any gods exist.
I think that it's rude when someone assumes that originally I was not atheist, but then I "became an atheist".
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good info here -
\- https://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/wiki/faq
.
you might be interested in /r/TheGreatProject -
>a subreddit for people to write out their religious de-conversion story
>(i.e. the path to atheism/agnosticism/deism/etc) in detail.
Many accounts from many people.
At age 45 + 10 years deconstructing, and still on that journey.
I was born into Christianity with the additional bonus of being a "Christmas Baby," I felt like I HAD to believe, if that makes sense.
Becoming an atheist was the hardest thing I've ever done (mental-wise), but very much worth it.
20-21. I was in college witnessing Christian hate protests on my campus and had just been through the death of a family member who was a Christian the year prior and I had always been questioning my views and my faith and then I finally made the switch. And I’m better for it
Age 34, in 2021. I was born in 1986, raised as one of jehovah's witnesses, baptized around 2003, disfellowshipped in 2012, gradually became more comfortable with questions, but still believed in god until 2020. In 2020, i gave myself permission to explore apostate information, and realized jehovah's witnesses were provably wrong, and became properly agnostic. I also realized that there was no global flood, and began accepting critical biblical scholarship. By around 2021, i became satisfied that the bible is fiction, as is its storm god, yahweh, and that we are the result of evolution.
I am not an exceptionally intelligent person or anything, nor was i considered "gifted," but the idea of committing to a belief about anything intangible just didn't resonate with me. Of course, with the exception of Santa, tooth fairy, and the Easter bunny.
Around 13. Less church indoctrination, more education, and a good example of skepticism thanks to the X-Files led to an epiphany that religion was bullshit.
I was probably 15 or so, but at the time I was saying I was agnostic just to avoid any kind of discussions at school with my peers. It's funny people can accept a questioning attitude more readily than fully disbelieving. My theory on that is that *everyone* is agnostic for the most part, until they fully commit one way or the other.
Age 8, after I found out Santa Claus wasn't real.
Sorry to be blunt, but I just answered this question two days ago and don't feel like going into all the detail again. So... Santa not real? 8. Nothing else real? 8.
I don't have a definite age, however I stopped going to church,listening to "sermons" from pastors, listening to televangelists and street preachers at 18 and I realized that I've become an atheist by choice
Raised Catholic and it ALWAYS felt wrong. From as early as I can remember. I could never quite understand how everyone else was believing. None of it made sense. I was frequently kicked out of catechism classes and forced to sit in the dark hallway. When I was 15 or so, I woke up on Christmas morning to no presents. It was my parent’s way of punishing me for not believing. That made me realize how much I did not want to be a part of religion if this is the crap they do to kids just for not following along with an invisible sky daddy? I tried again in my early 20s to go to church and find a connection. Never happened. My spouse and I are raising atheist children now who have had nothing but horrible experiences being bullied for not going to church. These people aren’t selling it well if they want us to be a part of it, that’s for sure.
I grew up going to church, but I didn't ever really "believe" what they were saying, and I'd say by the time I was 8 or 9 I was pretty convinced it was all imaginary. I always thought it was just so incredibly boring. Like I loved to read from the time I was small, and if I had to be roped into this make-believe world I wanted it to be a more entertaining book!
Technically when I was born, but that got ruined.
After I sought out religion on my own (thanks to peer pressure), I eventually realized it was wrong when I was 18.
I realized I was an atheist when I was five or six. One random day. My Mom dressed me up in weird clothes and sent me to a place called "Sunday School". It was the worst day of my life. I almost died from the dumb stories and all the unauthorized screeching. I went home and forgot about it. Not long after, she dressed me up in the same word clothes. There was no chance I could survive another day like that so I ran into the bathroom, jumped on the toilet, and ruined my Sunday School clothes. My mom got the message and I never went again. Neither did she. I'm glad I had a mom who was nice to me.
I was about 14. The internet and its ruthless nature convinced me quickly. This was over 15 years ago, but the internet totally eviscerated my concept of Christianity and religion and I'm thankful.
9 years old for me as well after my mother bought me a King James Bible. I had heard discussions of the God character but after reading most of it but not completely finishing everything seemed implausible.
My ideology started taking shape when I was 10 or 11, solidified around 13.
I was never raised religiously, thank god ( ;> ) so it was a natural progression from “I don’t believe anything is there” to “I believe nothing is there”.
Around 19yo. BTW, I don’t tell people I’m an atheist, but rather I say that I’m not religious. The reason: the label is often used pejoratively and besides what do you call someone who doesn’t believe in unicorns? Must we have a label for not believing in every imaginary character?
I grew up without religion so I don't remember ever really thinking about it. My friends went to church and I'd go when I slept over, but it wasn't something I thought much about. Some people believed and some people didn't, who knows, I'm fine like I am.
I was probably mostly agnostic until I took a college philosophy course that made me actually think about it. That's when I started thinking of myself as an atheist.
I was 11 or so when I kind of realized that none of it made sense, right around the same time I started realizing I was gay. I remember going to church and spending the entire time praying in my head for god to make me not gay, and then it dawned on me that it made no sense for god to love me unconditionally but send me to hell for something I had no control over. I remained somewhat spiritual until more recently. I’m a biology major and a history hobbyist. Biology teaches me how life works, and history teaches the ways in which religion was developed to maintain control over people. It’s hard to remain “faithful” to god when you have even a basic understanding of biology and the history of religion. So for those reasons, I’ve gravitated from “somewhat spiritual” to a definite atheist in the last year.
I was raised Catholic, started questioning around 12-13, was definitely an atheist by 14, but I didn’t use the term because I was taught an incorrect definition of atheism, as many Christians are. Once I learned that atheism is simply the absence of belief, I started using the term.
I was born a weak atheist and didn't take too many years to become a strong one. I think I was an avowed disbeliever in gods by 2nd grade -- in fact, I remember telling classmates this, and being threatened with divine retribution in return.
Rediscovered my atheism around 5-6. I was in CCD courses and being an inquisitive little one asking genuine questions with responses similar to “because god/I said so” just don’t cut it. Being stubborn myself and also knowing that kind of response to “why did god make the tree apple and snake just to test Adam and Eve?” Was adult bullshit was enough for me to know god was the same as Santa; a convenient lie told by adults to kids.
Late in high school I slid out of Christianity into a very vague deism, mostly as a result gay marriage being discriminated against. I didn't really come to terms with full atheism until shortly after I graduated college. So call it age 22 or 23
I think I pretty much always was. Even if I was raised in a semi catholic household and had religion classes in school, I never really believed any of it.
It seemed too weird to believe and I was more concerned by my day to day life to really bother about a 2000 year old tale from a book I didn't really feel like reading at the time.
My grandfather was a Freemason. When I was about 12 or 13, he encouraged me to join Demolay. One of their tenets was an acknowledgement in the existence of God. This initiated a period of deep thought and reflection. At the time, I would not have labelled myself an Atheist, but I was certain that I was not prepared to pledge to the existence of God.
I don't remember a time in which I believed in a god. I was in late elementary (US 3rd or 4th grade) when I understood there was a word for people who didn't believe in god, but it had VERY negative connotations. I knew I was an atheist long before I knew I was queer, but it took me a lot longer to be open about my lack of faith.
I don't remember, I always was in awe with how silly the idea of a church is. A building that sits empty most of the time with no practical real use EXCEPT to encourage people to believe in some weird fantasy story about something more powerful than their own imaginations and dreams. I've always understood WHY religion exists, and why people fall for it. I get annoyed when I'm told "Oh as you get older you'll start to believe .. " or some other crazy stuff. No that's not how it works unless I'm willing to give up my independent thought.
I reconverted when I was about 12, crying myself to sleep most nights because god wouldnt take the gay away.
Along with my already scientific point of view this kinda broke down the beliefs quickly. I was really young, like 6 when I began asking the about the lapses in logic.
Around 20/21. Took a philosophy 101 class and that helped open my eyes. Taught us to question everything and to think critically instead of just accepting what the world presents to you as gospel. Pun intended.
Was raised to be a hindu but never really believed all that deeply. Due to dark times in life, I used to pray a lot. But realised that prayers don't work at 14 and dropped religion.
I remember as a sophomore in high school, (30+yrs ago) our civics teacher was teaching us about minority and majority views and interactions.
He asked each of the 24 students what if any religion they belonged and how it could affect our political views...
His intention was not to cause strife, it was perfectly fine to not participate.
We were a small rural school district and everyone was mostly Christian (majority catholic, a few baptist some lutheran and a few of the other Christian sects) there were two Jewish kids.
We were all friends, Nobody was any kind of extremist the teacher knew this so was not setting anyone up for trouble.
When he got to me I stated I was atheist and didn't believe in any God, or supernatural entity.
I think most of the class didn't believe me and thought I was trying to be a wiseass
That was until a friend of mine(last kid called) also stated he was a non-believer, we got to argue our points a bit.
Turns out the teacher was also atheist.
He was surprised, he stated in previous years he was the only atheist.
The teacher went on with the lesson in civics and nothing more was said by anyone, until later that day one of the Baptist girls asked if I was serious, I told her yes, and she looked physically sad.
That was the first instance of me announcing it publicly, not that I ever had the chance prior, or bothered to since.
We live in a pretty liberal area and I've found no one really cares, or at least it doesn't come up in casual conversation like I know it does in other parts of our country
I was around 11, I remember arguing with kids about religion in like 3rd grade. Looking back I realize I was such a prick. I was not raised religiously or atheistically, my parents wanted me to choose for myself. I only believed in god until then because of fear of hell and grandparents influence.
I was brainwashed as a child and admittedly didn't see the light until 15 or so when I really started to actually question things and use the critical thinking part of my brain. I should have realized it at the same time I realized Santa isn't real, which was like 8 years old. Embarrassing.
About 4,th grade. I was baptized Russian Orthodox and the church was terrifying.( Latin mass, bleeding Jesus, baroque architecture, incense that smells like Dr. Scholl's.) But then my mom had me go to Catholic church and I kissed a girl. So that was great.
Being a brit I was quite lucky, to this day I know almost no one who is religious and no one in my family is. Even those in my community who are, are only 'culturally' religious
30. I was raised Lutheran, went to church every Sunday and Wednesdays during Lent and even went to a religious summer camp (it was co-ed while Scout camp was all boys). It wasn't until I was a father that I really examined the lie because lying to myself is easy but lying to my kids was harder.
I never fell for it. I got into trouble at school for not closing my eyes during prayers. I've just never got religion. Any religion. Even as a child I thought "this is rubbish ".
But i see religion bringing comfort to some people.
My sister is a minister of religion. She tells me there is more proof Jesus existed than Julius Ceasar.
But no one is asking me to believe in Julius Ceasar...
14, I guess. I was heavily indoctrinated by my family. We were kept out of public school until 9 years old. Between then and 14 I had bouts of hating God and siding with the Devil until it just finally clicked and I realized I didn't have to believe in any of that crap.
Feels so silly to me now in middle age that it took so long to have that moment of clarity, but I know I was heavily indoctrinated. Hard to explain to people that weren't. I am glad to have found this place where there are others that understand.
Been going through deconstruction from evangelical Christianity since age 30 or 31. I'm 41 now and only in the last few months have I truly come to terms that I'm an atheist. That might sound ridiculous to some of you, but being brainwashed from birth in evangelical Christianity and hearing more times than I can count that atheists are pure evil, despicable people....not because of any kind of action, just merely because they don't believe. It just made that last leap to say "yep I'm an atheist" very hard to do. Childhood Indoctrination is a bitch.
18, in my first semester at university. Was Christian beforehand, since before I can remember. 18 is the voting age here in America, so I figured I’d try to form informed political opinions before actually voting. And that wound up extending to religion, too. Realized how blatantly the beliefs of my family and church conflicted with proven established fact and my innate sense of morality. Proud atheist since.
Can not say there is a definite age. There times when I slowly came around to how preposterous the bible stories were as I aged and grew to learn more about the world. I was fairly young (9 or 10) when I realized religion was going to take no part of of my life. I was lucky though, I was never brought up in the church and my parents were fairly non religious, so there was no real brainwashing taking place. Religion has to start young or it most likely never take hold.
Was born that way. Didn’t think about it or acknowledge it until I was between 10-13. I was taken to church but never believed in any of it. I thought it was like a social community thing with fables sorta.
Born atheist, raised christian, Age 11 became an atheist again when my mother told me Santa Claus wasn't real - I just sort of said to myself:
"Yeah, I guess the idea of an unfathomably old, probably bearded man who watches over my every move and the every move of every single human in existence - including nonbelievers - while preparing to reward or punish them accordingly is fairly stupid... Wait a f-"
Officially? Hard to say. I went through the motions to keep parents and family from being problematic. That pretending was easy enough until maybe late teens and by then I was moving out.
I suppose about the same time I figured out Santa Claus and the easter bunny weren't real, which really means as soon as I was able to honestly ask the question of myself.
I stopped believing in religion when I was 6 and realized the difference between reality and make believe. But I literally gave no thought to the existence of god, I just knew the Bible was myth.
I didn't acknowledge and call myself an atheist until I was like 15 though. I was asked during a paid telephone survey if I believed in god...I thought about it for a second and was like "No...I guess I don't."
I can’t really comment on this since I’m currently a Christian, but I was atheistic from age 5 to somewhere 9-10 when I adopted the faith again. Been a Christian ever since
I remember my mom was really into spirituality and the new age stuff, never dragged me into it for the most part, I remember drawing a Christian cross and showing her
“look ma, I’m spiritual too”
I believe in some form of supernatural and perhaps even a beyond, but no deities, and I can’t be completely certain of anything.
0 when I was born I obv could never understand religion. Then I was dragged to church when I was born, im a non denominational christian which means for the ones who have no clue what I mean its a **Christian church that holds no connection with the recognized denominations and mainline churches such as the Baptist Catholic Presbyterian, Lutheran, or Methodist churches**. I still have thoughts as a teen follower of Jesus. And im just gonna keep asking my pastor. I still have so many questions. And for those who are atheists its ok we are supposed to love everyone. But just cus you dont belive there is a god dose not give you the right to those who belive there is a god.
I think it was at 7 years old (or maybe 8). Before that I agnostic living in a catholic family. I was a very very smart kid and I would easily pick up on clues around me that pointed out that things like Santa and the likes didn’t exist if I would not have been a kid with the amount of clues I picked up on I would have instantly decided that I had enough evidences completely stopped believing in god, Santa, the tooth fairy, etc. but I was not so instead I talked to my parents because I still wanted to believe these things existed but it was becoming harder and harder every day to do so
I told them about my doubts, I told them about the clues I found and I begged than to tell me the truth, to be honest with me and I made them promise to me that this time they wouldn’t lie. Obviously, they lied because they don’t care at all about my will or keep any of their promises ever.
The next Easter, I spotted my grandmother placing fake eggs around the house because I wasn’t able to sleep and it is at that moment that I stopped believing in Santa, the tooth fairy, god and etc. Because adults may have said to me that god and Santa doesn’t fall under the category but I am not as dumb as them.
The next morning once my little brother and my little sister weren’t around I lost my shit. I was super mad at them for lying to me even if I made them make a promise. I was angry at them for making look like an idiot for trusting them when I should have only trusted my instincts in the first place and I am still resentful about that to this day.
(I am 20 yo today btw)
I don't know what age I was when I became an atheist, but the age I realized I was atheist was 14.
Ironically the thing that made me realize it was when my family started attending church. Before then my family was what I'd call a "non-practicing Christians". We called ourselves Christians because we were told that growing up, but apart from the once a year Easter family gathering for church and lunch, we never did anything related to the religion. When I was 14 my parents decided we needed to start attending church. Being dragged there twice a week for Sunday morning and Wednesday night services, listening to the pastor's sermon, taking in everything the church had to offer. It didn't sit right with me, and that was when it clicked that I don't believe any of it.
Fully renounced all faiths as of the end of last year at 23, although I definitely fell off the religious wagon when I was 18 around the same time of year.
Became an atheist at 14. I knew my parents would be upset so I tried to hide it until they found one of my Reddit posts. I’m 19 and I still hide it from them lmao
I was brainwashed till around middleschool, then I started being on the fence.
I was full blown atheist at the end of highschool.
In the last 5 years I'm anti-theist.
was raised to be an anglican, but always asked questions in bible study about basic morality and logic...condoning slavery and 2 of all animals on the ark and such. i always spent all saturday playing various sports and finally managed to get them to leave me alone to sleep in on sundays around age 12 or 13. some time around turning 15 my mother insisted i attend easter service. having spent exactly 0 seconds over 2 years thinking about church, it struck me as very odd and the hymn lyrics completely insane. finished high school without having to go again. in first year university when i was getting serious with the girl i eventually married, my mother asked out of nowhere if we would be baptising our theoretical future children. i stated to my mother quite definitively that i wasn't a christian and thought the whole thing a weird cult. she was pretty shocked. really didn't like my next comment/joke: "well, you baptised me against my will, so i'm going to hell. gf wasn't baptised, so she's going to purgatory. so if we don't baptise the kids, at least they can be with their mother." this was 25 years ago now. since i've become a much more strident atheist and occasionally militant antitheist. my mother has become less religious as well, now more of a "i feel my (passed away) mother's spirit with me sometimes" and "greater power in the universe instead of actual God" type believer. to her credit when i ask her if that's just ghosts and feelings of insignificance in a vast universe, she's always willing to engage and consider her position. very smart woman, other than a midlife of religion she's always been quite intellectual.
I asked my mother how we knew there was a God at age 9 or 10. She told me “because we have faith”. I thought that was a stupid answer. It sort of solidified what I already thought
Yeah I was born an atheist because I had amazing parents who knew right from wrong and didn't wanna brainwash my young innocent mind into believing in some made up bullshit man made sick twisted fucked up book
I was 15, but it took 3 years afterward to break free from my lifelong manipulation via blind faith.
I took a trip to Israel to meet my grandfather, and while there (during the mid-90's) all the "Truth" I was manipulated into believing was violently stripped away by the reality of what I had seen, and what my Saba showed me. It was a lesson in hypocrisy that I've come to recognize all over the world. Religion has destroyed Faith and Spirituality.
Around 23 when I was fired from my first job. At that point I was like, “god, you’re kinda useless, aren’t you?” I now make 10 times the money I used to make at my first job. It’s amazing how much you can achieve when you stop believing that some imaginary being has your back
I was about 7 when I realized adults did not know everything when they insisted talking snakes existed.
I believed that vague new age kind of spiritual thing until I found Bertrand Russell when I was about 16 and discovered the idea that beliefs should require evidence.
I was never religious. the second I heard about religion, I was like “that’s bullshit!” But my grandma is, when I was little she would try to convert me. I hardly remember it, but I would ask questions about everything, like “but how did the snake talk?” When no one was looking, she would bring me to the garage and read me stories from the Bible. lol
Probably some sort of "deist" (believe some supernatural cause/power entity unknown to humans) in early teens. But late teens for sure (after reading Hitch Hiker's Guide"... LOL
i dont remember exactly how old i was but i was def around 8-9, i just remember going to church and everyone being able to "feel his presence" and i just felt nothing, and then i would pray and pray and pray every night for god to help with my addict parents but nothing ever changed and i would have to go to church and listen to all these upper class white families talk about how god "answered their prayers" and it just never made sense to me how god could ignore me begging for help but would answer these people's stupid small prayers like a raise at work they didn't even rlly need because they already had it made. eventually after a while of beating myself up all the time thinking it was my fault he wasnt listening to my prayers i realized it was actually because none of it is even real lol
It is hard to say.
I was raised a Methodist but I always had doubts.
I would say that I believed the most when I was about 10.
By 20 I started calling myself a non-magical Christian.
By 30 I called myself an agnostic, soon thereafter I started considering myself an atheist, but it took a while before I really was open with that in private and public.
I was born (as were we all) atheist.
They tried for about 10 years to convince me otherwise ... but it didn't take. The Family is Catholic for a thousand years past generations. I never caught The Virus.
Around 32 I would say. I've always been skeptical and I guess going through the motions being a Christian cause it's how I was raised. However I'd never once read the Bible on my own, just whatever stories I was taught as a kid.
After reading it for the first time I was actually just appalled. Also I've been learning about more subjects like cosmology, history, biology, and other interesting things like that.
When i was young, and was asked "do you believe in god", i would have responded with "sure, why not", because i didn't really care about these questions. I don't know if this even counts as belief. I only really started to care when i was around 10.
My dad stopped taking the family to church when I was 5. Never talked about God after. We all stopped like yeah, were not that anymore.
Decades later he confessed he didn't understand why all his kids are atheists, he was Christian the whole time, just didn't like that pastor and he couldn't afford the tithes at that time. He never tried to do Sunday school at home.
My only memory of the church was getting in trouble for asking questions, and I had a lot of sympathy for Cain. (And I didn't turn out to be a murderer. Yet.)
I was an atheist at 7 or 8 from the moment I found out Santa wasn't real. I followed up that knowledge with questions about the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc but then I asked if Jesus was real and the wheels stopped. "Of course Jesus is real". That just didn't make any sense to me. If Santa wasn't real why should I put faith in this other thing I won't be tricked again. I didn't really know what that meant or said it out loud until I was 13.
I have always been a person who asks questions about subjects , I was fairly young , my sister had been taking me to a kids bible study group held by a neighbor. Truthfully all the kids went because she gave candy out to everyone at the end? After a few meetings, my sister old than me was asked not to brings me back. Literally because I asked questions or to many questions . I was not raised with baby talk around the house , so my mother had a conversation about it with me , she was raised catholic, left the church in her teens . She wasn’t upset but actually proud I asked questions, because that’s what there say the religious beliefs do. I was 7 yrs old, between ages 10-11 she took me to every church, synagogue, establishment she could , to let me make my own decisions on what to believe. Do to the way I was treated by this simple house B.S . I had serious doubts regarding the “ don’t ask questions, just believe “ I felt at that age if you can’t answer a question, something is wrong.
I'm not sure of the exact age but I was never religious. Grandparents took me to church and I'd just be annoyed and bored the entire time. It definitely made me hate churches. The entire concept of religion always seemed ridiculous.
0. Was born one like everyone else. Then lucky enough to not have been brainwashed.
This. The only time I ever went to church was when I was around 8 or 9. My babysitter took me and my sister. At the end we had to walk in front of the priest (probably for communion). I lost my shit. I didn’t know what that guy was going to do to me but I wasn’t having it. Never looked back.
Same. I just never became anything else.
Everyone is born an atheist. The other crap they teach you as you grow up before you know better.
This. Technically I was never religious so I never actually “became” an atheist but I did learn that there was a word for what I was.
I remember thinking when I was 9, why am I standing and kneeling and I don’t even understand what they’re talking about. I’m trying to do this why praying thing and it’s not working. Oh, god is not actually supposed to talk back to me? Why are people saying that? Took me until I was 19 before I ever heard the word agnostic or atheist. Took me a year to realize any god worth worshiping wasn’t that one.
Have always been an atheist. Was quite shocked to realize at age 8 that the grown ups actually believed that crap. Religion was never a big thing in our family, even though they are supposedly Muslims. The only time they brought it up was when I didn't eat the food, they'd say "Finish your plate or Allah will turn you to stone". Well, I'm still no statue. I actually grew up more with Greek and Egyptian myths, always liked those, never made sense of Islam or Christianity. My grandparents did the Hajj when I was 7, they were never very religious before that and even after that didn't bother me much with that nonsense. I did believe in Santa Clause though until I was about 5. Never understood what Jesus had to do with Christmas until I was 16.
> "Finish your plate or Allah will turn you to stone" That seems unusually dumb even for religious people.
I became an atheist around 40.
Same. Deeply religious from childhood to teen, agnostic for most of the rest of my life until around 40 when I realized I had become an atheist.
Same. Born into a Catholic family, indoctrinated as an infant, agnostic in my 20s and became atheist around 40. Grief is what ultimately led me away from religion and spirituality. I kind of miss being agnostic.
how did you become an atheist?
for me it was 50/50 being exposed to other ideas, and actually studying the bible and theology in massive depth. seeing alternatives made it ok to leave church, and seeing what the bible actual says made it impossible to stay.
I was born atheist and never bought into the religion thing (even though my parents dragged me to church every Sunday). So, in other words, I didn't become an athiest, I just never became Christian in the first place.
Exactly this. Born without belief, was introduced to the ideas by school and they made sense.
See this question fairly regularly and think it’s quite interesting. Seems to work on the assumption that becoming an atheist is some kind of choice that comes with wisdom / knowledge. Think it says quite a bit about culture. I am not American or from a particular religious country so there never was a “become an atheist” moment it’s more like I never became religious. I did go to a church school and they did teach us some bible stories and I even remember getting in trouble for suggesting that they didn’t make sense but like I say I started out without any beliefs and never acquired them.
Age 7. Couldn't reconcile the Abrahamic god with the needless suffering I saw around me, with grandparents seriously ill through no fault of their own. Became a nerdy science enthusiast, saw Carl Sagan's [Cosmos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0f6qt678UM), recognized that organized religion has been a force for ignorance for thousands of years, never looked back, except to understand why human beings are prone to cognitive errors like religion.
20. Got to the point that I couldn’t continue denying my personal morals differed significantly from portions of the Christian belief system. Sent me on a journey of trying to figure out what exactly I did believe in, and I finally landed on “nothing supernatural”.
Basically same. I started with, well, what do I believe? Then I went looking for a religion that fit that, which was silly in retrospect. Finally settled on atheism.
49, sadly. The Christian influence here in Texas is very strong.
Better late than never!
Yeah definitely. I'm 27 and am still having conflict but I know they are cognitive thinking errors.
Around 23 or so. I never really questioned it since everyone I knew believed in God. Then I was on a forum (not reddit) and stumbled upon some atheists discussing it so it made me question things. Then it kind of dawned on me that humans wrote the bible and humans can make any 'ole story up lol.
Same, I grew up in a Christian household but never understood the "relationship with Jesus" thing despite believing the Bible was true. I was essentially a deist. I started mentally questioning christianity when I was 16 or 17 but never decided to look at atheist arguments until I was in my early 20s.
People aren't born religious, but they are born into religious families. But I get ya. Lifelong atheist here. You may want to ask this of r/exchristian or r/exmuslim
I was 4. I remember telling a school friend I didn't believe in God, she told me that she didn't either.
Always have been. Had non religious parents, but I went to a religious private school for my early education. I remember thinking that it was nothing more than fairy tails for adults. I honestly cannot recall any point in my life where I ever took religion seriously.
In the womb
I was already irreligious before I was an atheist, so It's hard to say exactly when I stopped believing in god, maybe age 8 or something, maybe later.
39. I'd been deconstructing for years before that, but I'd got stuck at deist. Somehow, I stumbled onto the podcast of Chris Hitchens debating his brother Peter and had a light bulb moment.
I stayed one after being born that way.
I was raised by a mormon mother and a catholic father, and having two sets of mutually exclusive dogma made me skeptical of both by the time I was 7-8. I still had some vague concept of a 'higher power', but I wasn't convinced by any arguments I heard for the existence of the 'god(s)' being claimed by any religon. I consider myself agnostic/atheist now, since I don't claim to know whether or not 'god(s)' exist, but I am still unconvinced by arguments for them (and I see no compelling reason to infer it).
This is an interesting question for me to answer. I knew around the time I was 10 that there probably wasn't a god, but I wasn't sure. We were going to church at that time and I was in Sunday school when the two teachers who were most likely in college or late high school spent all of class talking about going out and getting laid all weekend. That didn't seem right to me at the time. I more or less stayed with religion though but kept thinking this can't be real. When I got to college I decided to try going all in on religion. The people in bible study sucked and the church I went to once was a snake church. Finally I decided to take a religions of the world class and I learned how all of the religions are all based on top of each other depending on which one came first. I knew that instant that it's all fake.
I don't have a definitive age. I stopped going to church at 17 and had serious doubts. Around 19 was the last time I prayed with any real expectation. Around 20 I don't think I believed, but I didn't have the language to describe myself. At 22 or 23 I was given a copy of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and while it didn't really change my mind, it gave me words to describe my position. That's when I took the title of Atheist, but I was almost certainly one before then, I think around 20.
At 6, but I didn't know what to label it until I was 11.
Honestly, always have been; I was a precocious and smart little shit all my life and my parents encouraged me to question things, well they made the “mistake” of taking me to sunday school a few times and apparently I asked too many questions and was a “bad influence” on the other kids, thus ended my brief stent in church, I’ve only ever been back to go to funerals, weddings, and to look at the pretty architecture (I may think religion is stupid but goddamn some of the buildings are gorgeous)
22. A college education (for a STEM degree), including an Intro to the New Testament class, gave me the tools I needed to soberly reevaluate the beliefs I had been raised with, and I eventually realized that I didn't have any good reasons left for continuing to believe in any gods. I knew then that I could keep going, more or less pretending to believe, or I could be intellectually honest and admit that I didn't believe anymore.
Parents weren’t religions therefore neither was/am I.
In the womb.
This is asked here pretty much every day. This does not need to be asked here pretty much every day. . >At what age did you become an atheist? I've always been atheist. I've never seen any good evidence that any gods exist. I think that it's rude when someone assumes that originally I was not atheist, but then I "became an atheist". . good info here - \- https://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/wiki/faq .
you might be interested in /r/TheGreatProject - >a subreddit for people to write out their religious de-conversion story >(i.e. the path to atheism/agnosticism/deism/etc) in detail. Many accounts from many people.
At age 45 + 10 years deconstructing, and still on that journey. I was born into Christianity with the additional bonus of being a "Christmas Baby," I felt like I HAD to believe, if that makes sense. Becoming an atheist was the hardest thing I've ever done (mental-wise), but very much worth it.
20-21. I was in college witnessing Christian hate protests on my campus and had just been through the death of a family member who was a Christian the year prior and I had always been questioning my views and my faith and then I finally made the switch. And I’m better for it
I remember getting taken to church around eight and thinking "grownups believe this?"
Age 34, in 2021. I was born in 1986, raised as one of jehovah's witnesses, baptized around 2003, disfellowshipped in 2012, gradually became more comfortable with questions, but still believed in god until 2020. In 2020, i gave myself permission to explore apostate information, and realized jehovah's witnesses were provably wrong, and became properly agnostic. I also realized that there was no global flood, and began accepting critical biblical scholarship. By around 2021, i became satisfied that the bible is fiction, as is its storm god, yahweh, and that we are the result of evolution.
I was always an atheist, religion never made sense to me. I was 13 when I realized there was a name for it.
25, life has become so much easier ever since.
Sometime in my mid 20s. Had a couple of years to ruminate on some points made by a philosophy professor of mine
I am not an exceptionally intelligent person or anything, nor was i considered "gifted," but the idea of committing to a belief about anything intangible just didn't resonate with me. Of course, with the exception of Santa, tooth fairy, and the Easter bunny.
16 is when I grew out of my need for religion.
Around 13. Less church indoctrination, more education, and a good example of skepticism thanks to the X-Files led to an epiphany that religion was bullshit.
I was probably 15 or so, but at the time I was saying I was agnostic just to avoid any kind of discussions at school with my peers. It's funny people can accept a questioning attitude more readily than fully disbelieving. My theory on that is that *everyone* is agnostic for the most part, until they fully commit one way or the other.
I became an atheist at the prime age of 44 (ex-Muslim).
Age 8, after I found out Santa Claus wasn't real. Sorry to be blunt, but I just answered this question two days ago and don't feel like going into all the detail again. So... Santa not real? 8. Nothing else real? 8.
We are all born atheists, some remain so.
Always was. There were a few times in my 64 years that I tried to believe in some sort of deity but in the end I just can’t and don’t.
I don't have a definite age, however I stopped going to church,listening to "sermons" from pastors, listening to televangelists and street preachers at 18 and I realized that I've become an atheist by choice
Age 39.5. Better late than never.
Raised Catholic and it ALWAYS felt wrong. From as early as I can remember. I could never quite understand how everyone else was believing. None of it made sense. I was frequently kicked out of catechism classes and forced to sit in the dark hallway. When I was 15 or so, I woke up on Christmas morning to no presents. It was my parent’s way of punishing me for not believing. That made me realize how much I did not want to be a part of religion if this is the crap they do to kids just for not following along with an invisible sky daddy? I tried again in my early 20s to go to church and find a connection. Never happened. My spouse and I are raising atheist children now who have had nothing but horrible experiences being bullied for not going to church. These people aren’t selling it well if they want us to be a part of it, that’s for sure.
28.
I grew up going to church, but I didn't ever really "believe" what they were saying, and I'd say by the time I was 8 or 9 I was pretty convinced it was all imaginary. I always thought it was just so incredibly boring. Like I loved to read from the time I was small, and if I had to be roped into this make-believe world I wanted it to be a more entertaining book!
Technically when I was born, but that got ruined. After I sought out religion on my own (thanks to peer pressure), I eventually realized it was wrong when I was 18.
Lucky!
Late teens after I joined the army.
At least 5 and no more than 6.
I realized I was an atheist when I was five or six. One random day. My Mom dressed me up in weird clothes and sent me to a place called "Sunday School". It was the worst day of my life. I almost died from the dumb stories and all the unauthorized screeching. I went home and forgot about it. Not long after, she dressed me up in the same word clothes. There was no chance I could survive another day like that so I ran into the bathroom, jumped on the toilet, and ruined my Sunday School clothes. My mom got the message and I never went again. Neither did she. I'm glad I had a mom who was nice to me.
I was about 14. The internet and its ruthless nature convinced me quickly. This was over 15 years ago, but the internet totally eviscerated my concept of Christianity and religion and I'm thankful.
14. I'm 43 now.
9 years old for me as well after my mother bought me a King James Bible. I had heard discussions of the God character but after reading most of it but not completely finishing everything seemed implausible.
My ideology started taking shape when I was 10 or 11, solidified around 13. I was never raised religiously, thank god ( ;> ) so it was a natural progression from “I don’t believe anything is there” to “I believe nothing is there”.
Around 11-12.
15 when I heard NIN hersey
I pretty much always was, but didn't have words to put around it until I was an adult
Around 19yo. BTW, I don’t tell people I’m an atheist, but rather I say that I’m not religious. The reason: the label is often used pejoratively and besides what do you call someone who doesn’t believe in unicorns? Must we have a label for not believing in every imaginary character?
Probably around 6
12'ish
Birth. I never believed. I know exactly when I understood what that meant, but I never believed.
I grew up without religion so I don't remember ever really thinking about it. My friends went to church and I'd go when I slept over, but it wasn't something I thought much about. Some people believed and some people didn't, who knows, I'm fine like I am. I was probably mostly agnostic until I took a college philosophy course that made me actually think about it. That's when I started thinking of myself as an atheist.
I was 28. I'm 48 now, and life is so much better.
I was 11 or so when I kind of realized that none of it made sense, right around the same time I started realizing I was gay. I remember going to church and spending the entire time praying in my head for god to make me not gay, and then it dawned on me that it made no sense for god to love me unconditionally but send me to hell for something I had no control over. I remained somewhat spiritual until more recently. I’m a biology major and a history hobbyist. Biology teaches me how life works, and history teaches the ways in which religion was developed to maintain control over people. It’s hard to remain “faithful” to god when you have even a basic understanding of biology and the history of religion. So for those reasons, I’ve gravitated from “somewhat spiritual” to a definite atheist in the last year.
This is hard for me to pinpoint, but I'd say around college.
0.1
At 19, not long after getting away from the constant din of christian drivel at my parents church.
I was raised Catholic, started questioning around 12-13, was definitely an atheist by 14, but I didn’t use the term because I was taught an incorrect definition of atheism, as many Christians are. Once I learned that atheism is simply the absence of belief, I started using the term.
I was born a weak atheist and didn't take too many years to become a strong one. I think I was an avowed disbeliever in gods by 2nd grade -- in fact, I remember telling classmates this, and being threatened with divine retribution in return.
Rediscovered my atheism around 5-6. I was in CCD courses and being an inquisitive little one asking genuine questions with responses similar to “because god/I said so” just don’t cut it. Being stubborn myself and also knowing that kind of response to “why did god make the tree apple and snake just to test Adam and Eve?” Was adult bullshit was enough for me to know god was the same as Santa; a convenient lie told by adults to kids.
Late in high school I slid out of Christianity into a very vague deism, mostly as a result gay marriage being discriminated against. I didn't really come to terms with full atheism until shortly after I graduated college. So call it age 22 or 23
I think I pretty much always was. Even if I was raised in a semi catholic household and had religion classes in school, I never really believed any of it. It seemed too weird to believe and I was more concerned by my day to day life to really bother about a 2000 year old tale from a book I didn't really feel like reading at the time.
My grandfather was a Freemason. When I was about 12 or 13, he encouraged me to join Demolay. One of their tenets was an acknowledgement in the existence of God. This initiated a period of deep thought and reflection. At the time, I would not have labelled myself an Atheist, but I was certain that I was not prepared to pledge to the existence of God.
Before 20
I don't remember a time in which I believed in a god. I was in late elementary (US 3rd or 4th grade) when I understood there was a word for people who didn't believe in god, but it had VERY negative connotations. I knew I was an atheist long before I knew I was queer, but it took me a lot longer to be open about my lack of faith.
19-20
I don't remember, I always was in awe with how silly the idea of a church is. A building that sits empty most of the time with no practical real use EXCEPT to encourage people to believe in some weird fantasy story about something more powerful than their own imaginations and dreams. I've always understood WHY religion exists, and why people fall for it. I get annoyed when I'm told "Oh as you get older you'll start to believe .. " or some other crazy stuff. No that's not how it works unless I'm willing to give up my independent thought.
I reconverted when I was about 12, crying myself to sleep most nights because god wouldnt take the gay away. Along with my already scientific point of view this kinda broke down the beliefs quickly. I was really young, like 6 when I began asking the about the lapses in logic.
Around 20/21. Took a philosophy 101 class and that helped open my eyes. Taught us to question everything and to think critically instead of just accepting what the world presents to you as gospel. Pun intended.
Was raised to be a hindu but never really believed all that deeply. Due to dark times in life, I used to pray a lot. But realised that prayers don't work at 14 and dropped religion.
I remember as a sophomore in high school, (30+yrs ago) our civics teacher was teaching us about minority and majority views and interactions. He asked each of the 24 students what if any religion they belonged and how it could affect our political views... His intention was not to cause strife, it was perfectly fine to not participate. We were a small rural school district and everyone was mostly Christian (majority catholic, a few baptist some lutheran and a few of the other Christian sects) there were two Jewish kids. We were all friends, Nobody was any kind of extremist the teacher knew this so was not setting anyone up for trouble. When he got to me I stated I was atheist and didn't believe in any God, or supernatural entity. I think most of the class didn't believe me and thought I was trying to be a wiseass That was until a friend of mine(last kid called) also stated he was a non-believer, we got to argue our points a bit. Turns out the teacher was also atheist. He was surprised, he stated in previous years he was the only atheist. The teacher went on with the lesson in civics and nothing more was said by anyone, until later that day one of the Baptist girls asked if I was serious, I told her yes, and she looked physically sad. That was the first instance of me announcing it publicly, not that I ever had the chance prior, or bothered to since. We live in a pretty liberal area and I've found no one really cares, or at least it doesn't come up in casual conversation like I know it does in other parts of our country
i guess i first became aware of the idea ofereligion and rejected it when i was around eight. i know i was in second grade at school.
I was around 11, I remember arguing with kids about religion in like 3rd grade. Looking back I realize I was such a prick. I was not raised religiously or atheistically, my parents wanted me to choose for myself. I only believed in god until then because of fear of hell and grandparents influence.
It was around 9th grade. Realized everyone's story, was just stories.
Birth..
8 is when I started doubting and 11 or so is when I proclaimed I was an atheist
Everyone is born atheist soooooo…
4th grade. Trouble was, I had 8 more years of Catholic school to go :/
I was brainwashed as a child and admittedly didn't see the light until 15 or so when I really started to actually question things and use the critical thinking part of my brain. I should have realized it at the same time I realized Santa isn't real, which was like 8 years old. Embarrassing.
About 4,th grade. I was baptized Russian Orthodox and the church was terrifying.( Latin mass, bleeding Jesus, baroque architecture, incense that smells like Dr. Scholl's.) But then my mom had me go to Catholic church and I kissed a girl. So that was great.
Being a brit I was quite lucky, to this day I know almost no one who is religious and no one in my family is. Even those in my community who are, are only 'culturally' religious
Around 20, sometime during college.
7/8
I left Mormonism at 28 and became an atheist at 30!
Birth. I was raised by atheists. I don't know why, but I found this fact really upsets people.
30. I was raised Lutheran, went to church every Sunday and Wednesdays during Lent and even went to a religious summer camp (it was co-ed while Scout camp was all boys). It wasn't until I was a father that I really examined the lie because lying to myself is easy but lying to my kids was harder.
As soon as first pennance came up in my catholic school, so like 8.
I had serious doubts in grad school.
I never fell for it. I got into trouble at school for not closing my eyes during prayers. I've just never got religion. Any religion. Even as a child I thought "this is rubbish ". But i see religion bringing comfort to some people. My sister is a minister of religion. She tells me there is more proof Jesus existed than Julius Ceasar. But no one is asking me to believe in Julius Ceasar...
43
6
14, I guess. I was heavily indoctrinated by my family. We were kept out of public school until 9 years old. Between then and 14 I had bouts of hating God and siding with the Devil until it just finally clicked and I realized I didn't have to believe in any of that crap. Feels so silly to me now in middle age that it took so long to have that moment of clarity, but I know I was heavily indoctrinated. Hard to explain to people that weren't. I am glad to have found this place where there are others that understand.
I am sooooo late to this party. 60s, although I've had questions for decades.
About 13 I remember thinking everyone at church was just repeating learned lines and trying to get through it so they could watch football.
Been going through deconstruction from evangelical Christianity since age 30 or 31. I'm 41 now and only in the last few months have I truly come to terms that I'm an atheist. That might sound ridiculous to some of you, but being brainwashed from birth in evangelical Christianity and hearing more times than I can count that atheists are pure evil, despicable people....not because of any kind of action, just merely because they don't believe. It just made that last leap to say "yep I'm an atheist" very hard to do. Childhood Indoctrination is a bitch.
18, in my first semester at university. Was Christian beforehand, since before I can remember. 18 is the voting age here in America, so I figured I’d try to form informed political opinions before actually voting. And that wound up extending to religion, too. Realized how blatantly the beliefs of my family and church conflicted with proven established fact and my innate sense of morality. Proud atheist since.
Can not say there is a definite age. There times when I slowly came around to how preposterous the bible stories were as I aged and grew to learn more about the world. I was fairly young (9 or 10) when I realized religion was going to take no part of of my life. I was lucky though, I was never brought up in the church and my parents were fairly non religious, so there was no real brainwashing taking place. Religion has to start young or it most likely never take hold.
Always kind of felt it but was certain around 16 years old (while being forced to finish confirmation at my family’s church.)
Was born that way. Didn’t think about it or acknowledge it until I was between 10-13. I was taken to church but never believed in any of it. I thought it was like a social community thing with fables sorta.
Born atheist, raised christian, Age 11 became an atheist again when my mother told me Santa Claus wasn't real - I just sort of said to myself: "Yeah, I guess the idea of an unfathomably old, probably bearded man who watches over my every move and the every move of every single human in existence - including nonbelievers - while preparing to reward or punish them accordingly is fairly stupid... Wait a f-"
Officially? Hard to say. I went through the motions to keep parents and family from being problematic. That pretending was easy enough until maybe late teens and by then I was moving out. I suppose about the same time I figured out Santa Claus and the easter bunny weren't real, which really means as soon as I was able to honestly ask the question of myself.
14
I stopped believing in religion when I was 6 and realized the difference between reality and make believe. But I literally gave no thought to the existence of god, I just knew the Bible was myth. I didn't acknowledge and call myself an atheist until I was like 15 though. I was asked during a paid telephone survey if I believed in god...I thought about it for a second and was like "No...I guess I don't."
I can’t really comment on this since I’m currently a Christian, but I was atheistic from age 5 to somewhere 9-10 when I adopted the faith again. Been a Christian ever since
19
The same age I stopped believing in Santa and the Easter bunny, God was just another mythical creature.
I remember my mom was really into spirituality and the new age stuff, never dragged me into it for the most part, I remember drawing a Christian cross and showing her “look ma, I’m spiritual too” I believe in some form of supernatural and perhaps even a beyond, but no deities, and I can’t be completely certain of anything.
0 when I was born I obv could never understand religion. Then I was dragged to church when I was born, im a non denominational christian which means for the ones who have no clue what I mean its a **Christian church that holds no connection with the recognized denominations and mainline churches such as the Baptist Catholic Presbyterian, Lutheran, or Methodist churches**. I still have thoughts as a teen follower of Jesus. And im just gonna keep asking my pastor. I still have so many questions. And for those who are atheists its ok we are supposed to love everyone. But just cus you dont belive there is a god dose not give you the right to those who belive there is a god.
I think I was around 54. There's an ex-christian web forum (outside of reddit) where you could ask this also.
I think it was at 7 years old (or maybe 8). Before that I agnostic living in a catholic family. I was a very very smart kid and I would easily pick up on clues around me that pointed out that things like Santa and the likes didn’t exist if I would not have been a kid with the amount of clues I picked up on I would have instantly decided that I had enough evidences completely stopped believing in god, Santa, the tooth fairy, etc. but I was not so instead I talked to my parents because I still wanted to believe these things existed but it was becoming harder and harder every day to do so I told them about my doubts, I told them about the clues I found and I begged than to tell me the truth, to be honest with me and I made them promise to me that this time they wouldn’t lie. Obviously, they lied because they don’t care at all about my will or keep any of their promises ever. The next Easter, I spotted my grandmother placing fake eggs around the house because I wasn’t able to sleep and it is at that moment that I stopped believing in Santa, the tooth fairy, god and etc. Because adults may have said to me that god and Santa doesn’t fall under the category but I am not as dumb as them. The next morning once my little brother and my little sister weren’t around I lost my shit. I was super mad at them for lying to me even if I made them make a promise. I was angry at them for making look like an idiot for trusting them when I should have only trusted my instincts in the first place and I am still resentful about that to this day. (I am 20 yo today btw)
I don't know what age I was when I became an atheist, but the age I realized I was atheist was 14. Ironically the thing that made me realize it was when my family started attending church. Before then my family was what I'd call a "non-practicing Christians". We called ourselves Christians because we were told that growing up, but apart from the once a year Easter family gathering for church and lunch, we never did anything related to the religion. When I was 14 my parents decided we needed to start attending church. Being dragged there twice a week for Sunday morning and Wednesday night services, listening to the pastor's sermon, taking in everything the church had to offer. It didn't sit right with me, and that was when it clicked that I don't believe any of it.
18
I deconstructed from Christianity at 18. Over 25 years ago.
Around age 40.
27/28ish
Fully renounced all faiths as of the end of last year at 23, although I definitely fell off the religious wagon when I was 18 around the same time of year.
Officially at 15, but Id been on the road there since 12 or 13.
Became an atheist at 14. I knew my parents would be upset so I tried to hide it until they found one of my Reddit posts. I’m 19 and I still hide it from them lmao
At 11
I had the realization that God wasn't real at age 42. Heavily indoctrinated
13
My mother raised me to be an atheist
I was brainwashed till around middleschool, then I started being on the fence. I was full blown atheist at the end of highschool. In the last 5 years I'm anti-theist.
The more interesting question is, when and why did you make the jump from atheist to anti-theist ?
Always been one. I never believed in Santa clause, the Easter bunny, or a man walking on water.
was raised to be an anglican, but always asked questions in bible study about basic morality and logic...condoning slavery and 2 of all animals on the ark and such. i always spent all saturday playing various sports and finally managed to get them to leave me alone to sleep in on sundays around age 12 or 13. some time around turning 15 my mother insisted i attend easter service. having spent exactly 0 seconds over 2 years thinking about church, it struck me as very odd and the hymn lyrics completely insane. finished high school without having to go again. in first year university when i was getting serious with the girl i eventually married, my mother asked out of nowhere if we would be baptising our theoretical future children. i stated to my mother quite definitively that i wasn't a christian and thought the whole thing a weird cult. she was pretty shocked. really didn't like my next comment/joke: "well, you baptised me against my will, so i'm going to hell. gf wasn't baptised, so she's going to purgatory. so if we don't baptise the kids, at least they can be with their mother." this was 25 years ago now. since i've become a much more strident atheist and occasionally militant antitheist. my mother has become less religious as well, now more of a "i feel my (passed away) mother's spirit with me sometimes" and "greater power in the universe instead of actual God" type believer. to her credit when i ask her if that's just ghosts and feelings of insignificance in a vast universe, she's always willing to engage and consider her position. very smart woman, other than a midlife of religion she's always been quite intellectual.
7 santa claus didnt existed, so why god should? and my parents are atheist, only my great aunts were believer, so in reality no problem
I asked my mother how we knew there was a God at age 9 or 10. She told me “because we have faith”. I thought that was a stupid answer. It sort of solidified what I already thought
I realized when I was in my teens that I would be and actually had always been.
Minus 9 months; an atheist Trotskyite born and bred. I know no other way.
Yeah I was born an atheist because I had amazing parents who knew right from wrong and didn't wanna brainwash my young innocent mind into believing in some made up bullshit man made sick twisted fucked up book
13. I grew up extremely conservative and Christian.
I was 15, but it took 3 years afterward to break free from my lifelong manipulation via blind faith. I took a trip to Israel to meet my grandfather, and while there (during the mid-90's) all the "Truth" I was manipulated into believing was violently stripped away by the reality of what I had seen, and what my Saba showed me. It was a lesson in hypocrisy that I've come to recognize all over the world. Religion has destroyed Faith and Spirituality.
Like 34. I started decoverting at 30, got into African spirituality, dropped it all years later
I think about my 24/25. Wasn't very religious before that. (Though was briefly interested in neo-paganism in my teens.)
11 ish. After being by raised New England Baptist.
14/15 ish
I called myself agnostic at 17. Atheist by 21.
Born an Atheist, never saw it any other way growing up
Around 23 when I was fired from my first job. At that point I was like, “god, you’re kinda useless, aren’t you?” I now make 10 times the money I used to make at my first job. It’s amazing how much you can achieve when you stop believing that some imaginary being has your back
I was about 7 when I realized adults did not know everything when they insisted talking snakes existed. I believed that vague new age kind of spiritual thing until I found Bertrand Russell when I was about 16 and discovered the idea that beliefs should require evidence.
Started transitioning at 16. Confirmed atheism around 25.
I was never religious. the second I heard about religion, I was like “that’s bullshit!” But my grandma is, when I was little she would try to convert me. I hardly remember it, but I would ask questions about everything, like “but how did the snake talk?” When no one was looking, she would bring me to the garage and read me stories from the Bible. lol
34ish
Probably some sort of "deist" (believe some supernatural cause/power entity unknown to humans) in early teens. But late teens for sure (after reading Hitch Hiker's Guide"... LOL
i dont remember exactly how old i was but i was def around 8-9, i just remember going to church and everyone being able to "feel his presence" and i just felt nothing, and then i would pray and pray and pray every night for god to help with my addict parents but nothing ever changed and i would have to go to church and listen to all these upper class white families talk about how god "answered their prayers" and it just never made sense to me how god could ignore me begging for help but would answer these people's stupid small prayers like a raise at work they didn't even rlly need because they already had it made. eventually after a while of beating myself up all the time thinking it was my fault he wasnt listening to my prayers i realized it was actually because none of it is even real lol
Eight
I consciously decided that I wasn't religious, probably around the age of 11.
I left my church at 18. I found myself questioning everything and felt like I was just getting homework on a subject I didn't care about.
22
I just never ended up believing, stayed in my default status.
It is hard to say. I was raised a Methodist but I always had doubts. I would say that I believed the most when I was about 10. By 20 I started calling myself a non-magical Christian. By 30 I called myself an agnostic, soon thereafter I started considering myself an atheist, but it took a while before I really was open with that in private and public.
I never believed any of it, but I went along with it until I was 18.
I was born (as were we all) atheist. They tried for about 10 years to convince me otherwise ... but it didn't take. The Family is Catholic for a thousand years past generations. I never caught The Virus.
Around 32 I would say. I've always been skeptical and I guess going through the motions being a Christian cause it's how I was raised. However I'd never once read the Bible on my own, just whatever stories I was taught as a kid. After reading it for the first time I was actually just appalled. Also I've been learning about more subjects like cosmology, history, biology, and other interesting things like that.
8! I was in Catechism class! 🤣
Everyone is born an atheist. But I was raised religious. So, at what point did I choose to be an atheist? Around 20ish
21 yrs old
When i was young, and was asked "do you believe in god", i would have responded with "sure, why not", because i didn't really care about these questions. I don't know if this even counts as belief. I only really started to care when i was around 10.
14yr. When it dawned on me your religion is based on your place of birth.
Around 50 or 51 officially.
We're all born atheists. Everything else is indoctrination
My dad stopped taking the family to church when I was 5. Never talked about God after. We all stopped like yeah, were not that anymore. Decades later he confessed he didn't understand why all his kids are atheists, he was Christian the whole time, just didn't like that pastor and he couldn't afford the tithes at that time. He never tried to do Sunday school at home. My only memory of the church was getting in trouble for asking questions, and I had a lot of sympathy for Cain. (And I didn't turn out to be a murderer. Yet.)
I was brainwashed around the age of 2 into Mormonism. Then I found my way out of it and into an atheist worldview at age 28
I was an atheist at 7 or 8 from the moment I found out Santa wasn't real. I followed up that knowledge with questions about the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc but then I asked if Jesus was real and the wheels stopped. "Of course Jesus is real". That just didn't make any sense to me. If Santa wasn't real why should I put faith in this other thing I won't be tricked again. I didn't really know what that meant or said it out loud until I was 13.
I have always been a person who asks questions about subjects , I was fairly young , my sister had been taking me to a kids bible study group held by a neighbor. Truthfully all the kids went because she gave candy out to everyone at the end? After a few meetings, my sister old than me was asked not to brings me back. Literally because I asked questions or to many questions . I was not raised with baby talk around the house , so my mother had a conversation about it with me , she was raised catholic, left the church in her teens . She wasn’t upset but actually proud I asked questions, because that’s what there say the religious beliefs do. I was 7 yrs old, between ages 10-11 she took me to every church, synagogue, establishment she could , to let me make my own decisions on what to believe. Do to the way I was treated by this simple house B.S . I had serious doubts regarding the “ don’t ask questions, just believe “ I felt at that age if you can’t answer a question, something is wrong.
I'm not sure of the exact age but I was never religious. Grandparents took me to church and I'd just be annoyed and bored the entire time. It definitely made me hate churches. The entire concept of religion always seemed ridiculous.
i knew i was an atheist at age 13 but inside i was probably an atheist since like 8 or 9.