Viserov Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 I'm agnostic and I was just wondering -- and this is, of course, directed to those of you who are agnostic or athiest -- what made you decide to leave your faith? Did you leave formally, or did you just not attend services anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt74441 Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Well I grew up in a very unreligious family, so I never got fed any of that stuff as a kid. I went to a Catholic school and I would often make "bad" comments through religion class, much to the teachers annoyance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Hawk Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 I used to go to church since I could remember but I was a kid and the thing laster for like 3-4hrs. Got bored and I really never saw the point. Faith didn't really help me when I needed it the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viserov Posted August 1, 2005 Author Share Posted August 1, 2005 Yeah, I just never seemed "touched" by religion. I never really felt faith. I also never understood the point of supposedly knowing that we all have free will without an intervention from a god, then praying to a god for something -- for someone that's sick gets better, or for relief from a traumatic event or disaster -- when supposedly god himself had the power to prevent these bad things from happening anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamz Veteran Posted August 1, 2005 Veteran Share Posted August 1, 2005 i reached my conclusions through two different channels: philosophy and observation. my studies in philosophy forced me to think about the world in a different way. in the end, i could not accept religion for philosophical reasons. i grew up in a buddhist household, but my experiences in a buddhist culture taught me about humanity and beliefs, and my observations further confirmed my philosophical studies. not to mention the fact that some religious people have picked on me before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idleist Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Through evolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
se7en.hu Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 ammm because religion was created years ago when people knew no better, was a form of controlling uneducated masses back in the day today we have science and I dont even see how anyone could personally believe in it, I did when I was younger dont know what I was thinking honestly but now when I think about it the whole thing it just sounds so ridicoulus for example in christianity the bible there are stories about angels and fairys and virgin moms etc etc. Just ridicoulus even if science hasnt proved everything I can much rather believe in that over some story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viserov Posted August 1, 2005 Author Share Posted August 1, 2005 i reached my conclusions through two different channels: philosophy and observation.my studies in philosophy forced me to think about the world in a different way. in the end, i could not accept religion for philosophical reasons. i grew up in a buddhist household, but my experiences in a buddhist culture taught me about humanity and beliefs, and my observations further confirmed my philosophical studies. not to mention the fact that some religious people have picked on me before. 586307995[/snapback] Yes, some religious people can be the meanest SOBs when they try to force their beliefs on you, or if they condemn you/others for who you/they are. Most of the agnostics/atheists I met are very open-minded towards accepting people for who they are, and not what they think a god should expect them to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR_Candyman Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 both my parents were forced to grow up in religious families. They never really believed any of that bullocks so they gave up religion when they moved out of their houses. They raised my brother and I athiest, and I'm glad they did. WHy believe in some evil prick when I can believe in myself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OPaul Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 I think I was born without the faith gene. I went to Anglican school in England where we were taught religion and what not but apparantly none of it stuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
505 Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 I was raised in a non-religious family, so there was no religion in my youth. Naturally, when I grew older I started to think about it myself and reached the conclusion that having no religion is best (for me at least). I don't know if God exists or not, I simply don't care. Recently I started reading the Bible. Being raised in a non-religious way I had no real exposure to it, I only knew the stories from movies etc. I started reading because I believe it is important for everyone (even atheists/agnostics) to know the basic principle our society is based on. And in the West, the Bible is the most important book. I must admit, the Old Testament is pretty interesting. The stories told there are quite good. Some bits are a bit boring, such as all the laws, but essential to understand the implications the Bible had throughout history. Oh, and I am very confused about all these 'bible fanatics' and their believes. It's by far the most violent book if ever read. I think the dead toll is in the millions by now, and I'm only at II Kings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goheels681 Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 My parents were religous, but it was never enforced in my house. After a lesson about evolution at school, I started to question my religion, and that's when I decided to turn Agnostic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viserov Posted August 1, 2005 Author Share Posted August 1, 2005 I was raised in a non-religious family, so there was no religion in my youth. Naturally, when I grew older I started to think about it myself and reached the conclusion that having no religion is best (for me at least). I don't know if God exists or not, I simply don't care.Recently I started reading the Bible. Being raised in a non-religious way I had no real exposure to it, I only knew the stories from movies etc. I started reading because I believe it is important for everyone (even atheists/agnostics) to know the basic principle our society is based on. And in the West, the Bible is the most important book. I must admit, the Old Testament is pretty interesting. The stories told there are quite good. Some bits are a bit boring, such as all the laws, but essential to understand the implications the Bible had throughout history. Oh, and I am very confused about all these 'bible fanatics' and their believes. It's by far the most violent book if ever read. I think the dead toll is in the millions by now, and I'm only at II Kings. 586309449[/snapback] Speaking of Old Testament, what happened to Vengeful God in the Old Testament to the one that's more forgiving in the New Testament? Did he take drugs or something? This is why I believe humans devised the concept of a supreme being and the religions to worship him/her/it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axon Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 I never had faith. Never. I believe religion to be a tool once useful for controlling primitive people that were basically stupid and would do as told. 21st century humans are no longer stupid, but still believe most of everything they're told. I was taught a hybrid of Protestant and Catholicism as a child, but thought (and still do) that the bible is a story book, be it, it does teach good morals and ethical values, but it would seem the deeply devout do not take these to heart (oddly enough). I once considered Buddhism, but I'm far too materialistic to make any kind of sound commitment. I hope this topic can stay clean, it would/will be a good discussion. -Ax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamz Veteran Posted August 2, 2005 Veteran Share Posted August 2, 2005 I never had faith. Never. i have faith in myself and in humanity. if there's anything that would ever test my faith in humanity, it's all the tragic news that i see every day, but something gives me the courage to maintain my faith in people. no matter how bad it gets, i know there's someone good out there. I hope this topic can stay clean, it would/will be a good discussion. 586310530[/snapback] i'll make sure it does. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axon Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 i have faith in myself and in humanity.? if there's anything that would ever test my faith in humanity, it's all the tragic news that i see every day, but something gives me the courage to maintain my faith in people.? no matter how bad it gets, i know there's someone good out there.i'll make sure it does:cool:l: 586310580[/snapback] That is a good point. I do have faith in myself, in knowing what I know, and what I can accomplish. A good example of what I believe would be, about 3 months ago I climbed a mountain called Golden Ears here in the lower mainland. Anyone who lives hear probably knows about it, or at least has most deffinitly seen it: And when I got to the top, one of the religious guys in my group thanked god for guiding him to the top. I, however, relished in the fact that I alone had climbed this mountain, without an invisible hand pushing me up as I go. -Ax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r4dius Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Without religion most of this world would uncontrolled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-Flex Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Religion has been a nonfactor for me my entire life. I was barely aware of it's existance until I became interested in politics. I was never taught anything about it, attended church service or even seen an actual Bible. 99% of those I know are nonreligious, with only a few people (2, maybe 3 or 4) I know that actually believe in God/have a religion. There is a huge discrepancy with those I know and the rest of the world, which fascinates me. While I have educated myself on religion (and subsequently turned off by it), I have no knowledge of a religious community, instead growing up in an atheist world. That is not to say that my community has it's share of religionists, but they seem to be outside of my relationships. Even my MP is a former reverend. I also considered Buddhism for it's lack of a deity and some of it's principles, but once again I was frustrated, because I did not want a religion that told me what to do. That's when I realized that I was completely atheist, a prospect I had not considered despite an entire life as an atheist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pto Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Throughout my immature life, I went to church with my grandmother and my mother was/is a strong Baptist. God was my coincience and I had believed that I would die and go to heaven. However, at around the age of 13, I began to grasp how religon was picked from midair by someone and thrown into the ideals of many. It happened for every religon. A higher being came down and promised an event by so and so, I'm agnostic and I've seen no evidence. I'm grateful for the life I lead, but I don't know who to thank other than my parents and hope that I can change someone's life. You give it back. I have a coincience now, I don't 'sin', well I swear every now and then and other small things. Throughout all those ideals, i don't drink or smoke either, I've found that I share a common interest with someone special in my life. She is religous, but doesn't attend church very often. We converse over multiple 'deep' subjects. IE. Religon, Literature, our relationship, Idealogy, Philosophy and anything. She's incredibly smart and I found a new me in the process of knowing her. I somewhat base my ideals on her, but not entirely. I believe that someday I will change someone's world. I came to the conclusion that you die, and dream; I've got the ability to lucid dream and acute sleep paralysis and I often see things I cannot explain, but I talk to her about them. She finds me to be a very amazing individual and I'm quite difficult. These images I see lead me to create art, that I do not release, I keep between her and I. I see things I can't explain and I can't believe I'm posting this on neowin. Anyways, I've got no disrespect for religous people and I keep my opinions to myself. I still go to church with my grandmother on visits, I give the deserved respect to all people, well some. Religon is faith, faith is believing what you can't see. Someone prove me wrong, but agnostic is what I label myself, I don't boast it either. -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACTIONpack Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 As an Agnostics I just dont know if there is a god or not and there is no proof that we will ever know. Religion makes a god too much as a human. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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