Why did you become an atheist?

[delly]

Why did you decide to become an atheist? How has it changed your life? Do wish you could follow a religion?

[elliebean]

1) I didn't decide to become an atheist; I decided to take a serious, critical look at my beliefs and my way of thinking - especially my means of discerning truth from untruth - and start holding myself and my conclusions to a higher standard of thought. Naturally, superstitious beliefs like gods and devils didn't make the cut and, voila, I was an atheist. So really, I decided to become a skeptic.

2) This has changed my life in several of ways:

I take more personal pride in forming thoughts and opinions that are truly my own, which boosts my self respect.
I think more clearly and find it much easier than before to learn new things because I no longer have a closed mind.
I enjoy Sundays a lot more.
I don't have stress or anxiety over trying to hold conflicting beliefs at the same time (cognitive dissonance).
I've become a much more morally upstanding and ethical person for being able to rely on my natural goodness rather than on an archaic set of "laws" that are so repressive they basically force people to look for loopholes (my rules are my own, therefore I follow them).
I feel more free to be myself, instead of feeling pressured to conform to a lot of judgemental people.
I'm less gullible and less impressionable.
My artwork is much, much better. I don't know whay there would be a correlation, but there seems to be one.
I don't feel obligated to listen to crappy christian music.
I've finally come to the realisation that it's all crappy.
Yes, it is. Don't lie to yourself.
I no longer have that feeling that someone is watching me all the time.
I'm more satisfied sexually.
I make friends more easily, and with a wider variety of people.
And overall, I'm a more easygoing, laid-back, happy person.

There's a lot more than that, but I'll leave room for others to comment.


3) No, I'm very happy to be done with religion. I may have thought there was some advantage to it at the time, but I've moved on and it would just be a pain in the ass now.

[Regens Küchl]

Why did you decide to become an atheist? How has it changed your life? Do wish you could follow a religion?

I happen to be a polytheist, but I like to fight side by side with atheists against the common enemy > monotheism

[MariaEvri]

Why did you decide to become an atheist?

I didnt decide to be an atheist. It ahppened in time, without me thinking about it., I "blame" science and national geographic

How has it changed your life?
I have my memorial days sunday mornings free to sleep

Do wish you could follow a religion?
no

[curiosityandthecat]

Why did you decide to become an atheist?

I personally was brainwashed at a very young age by liberal democrats, the writers of the PBS series Nova and LeVar Burton, so it wasn't much of a choice.

How has it changed your life?

How has it changed my life? For one, I'm happier, I don't feel guilt over telling people to live their lives a certain way because I think they should, I can be intellectually honest with myself and I don't follow an instruction manual written 2,000 years ago that in no way, shape or form, as a pre-modern text, has any bearing on modern civilization.

Do wish you could follow a religion?

I wish I could be a Catholic. Wine on Sunday morning? Sign me up.

[Tanker]

I didn't decide anything I use logic and reason and I just am because of it.

I live a happy existance without guilt for natural thoughts and actions. I chreish life because it's my only one.

Not just no but HELL NO!

[Whitney]

The IP of this poster matches 3 others...I'm just going to ban them all and let their teacher sort them out because this is ridiculous.

[Tom62]

Why did you decide to become an atheist?

I didn't decide to become an atheist. When I was young I believed that god was an old man with a beard that floated around on a cloud. Interesting person, but Santa Claus had more credibility in my eyes. When I' found out that Santa was not for real, god and Jesus also became fairy-tale figures for me.

How has it changed your life?

Nothing much has really changed, since I'm lucky enough to  live in a secular society. It is OK to be an atheist or a theist, but crazy theists won't have a chance to ruin things for all of us.

Do wish you could follow a religion?

Thanks, but no thanks. I don't see any merits in religion, apart from wasting my time (and money).