Hello all!

[Faint]

Hello everyone! I decided to finally join an atheist community after watching some stand up comedy of George Carlin and Bill Maher. I found it quite humorous and I really enjoyed looking further into why people believe in religion.

A little bit about me, I'm 29 years old and my parents are Buddhist, but they aren't pushing that on me or anything. I was sent to a private school which was Christian in the 3rd grade until 6th grade. From 3rd grade all the way until I graduated high school I was Christian. I then slowly turned to atheism when I was in college. Since then I kind of shrugged at the idea of religion until more recently.

Hope to gather more intelligence here!

[xSilverPhinx]

Welcome!

[Recusant]

Hello and welcome to HAF, Faint. Carlin I find funny more often than not, Maher just the opposite. A matter of taste and nothing more, I'm sure. Your story sounds interesting to me, and I hope you tell us more at some point, if you feel like it.

Notes for new members from Tank:

The Rules.

Users who comply with forum rules will graduate to full membership after 10 posts. Till that time your ability to post is limited to the "Getting to Know You" section of the forum. It is our hope that this small restriction improves the overall atmosphere of HAF.

Some threads you might find interesting.
Where did you get your username from?
10 Things About Yourself
Tell us A Bit About Where You're From
Photography
Non-religious pet peeves
Pets...what do you have?
How to tell your family you are an atheist.*
"Rules for Conducting a Discussion" by Dr. Mortimer J. Adler*

*You will need 10 posts before you can add a post to this thread, but you can read it at any time.

I hope you enjoy your time reading and posting here!

[Tank]

Hi Faith

I like the ironic user name. Unless it happens to be your name. In which case I like it even more!  

I look forward to hearing about your journey away from institutionalised superstition (religion).

Welcome to HAF!

Regards
Chris

EDIT: Ok I had only just got up this morning. I thought I'd modify my post but then I thought I'd leave it here as evidence of my stupidity 

Welcome aboard Faint!!

[The Magic Pudding]

Hope to gather more intelligence here!

Hello.

If you're a zombie and "intelligence" is code for brains just be warned, I have a cricket bat.

[Tank]

Hope to gather more intelligence here!

Hello.

If you're a zombie and "intelligence" is code for brains just be warned, I have a cricket bat.

And a wide range of protective head gear!!!

[OldGit]

Greetings, faint.  Ignore what you see in this thread - they're all fairly harmless really and it's a pleasant place.

[Tank]

Greetings, faint.  Ignore what you see in this thread - they're all fairly harmless really and it's a pleasant place.

But some are senile 

[Amicale]

Greetings, faint.  Ignore what you see in this thread - they're all fairly harmless really and it's a pleasant place.

But some are senile 

And others get, well, Tanked. 

Welcome, Faint! Very glad to meet you!

[Sandra Craft]

Greetings, faint.  Ignore what you see in this thread - they're all fairly harmless really and it's a pleasant place.

But some are senile 

Hey, I resemble that remark!

From 3rd grade all the way until I graduated high school I was Christian. I then slowly turned to atheism when I was in college. Since then I kind of shrugged at the idea of religion until more recently.

Sounds like a fairly common trajectory.  My girlfriend's daughter has gone pretty much the same way -- conventionally religious during childhood, started questioning it in college and informed her mother and I that she was now agnostic on her last visit home.

You write you'd shrugged the idea of religion off until recently -- are you re-thinking atheism or just feeling an on-going interest in other peoples beliefs?  I've considered myself an athiest for some 30 years but I still find the topic of religion fascinating (and occasionally enraging, depending on the group but I've taken to avoiding thinking about them too much -- it's hard on my blood pressure).

[Anti-antidisestablishmentarianism]

Welcome! Their are more of us in the comedy world.  Try Joe Rogan's stand up.  pretty hilarious.

[werewolf]

Good to see another budhist around