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[–] Blacque 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Ex-Atheist; other atheists can be as preachy as religious people. There are atheists who I know will not shut up about the wrongdoings of any individual who does something in the name of religion and generalizes it to the whole of that religion. You're not going to convert a person to atheism by repeatedly bashing other people's religions, it just makes you look like an asshole. This is only a minor reason for my leaving of atheism.

I identify as agnostic nowadays. I don't think its reasonable to outright exclude the possibility of god(s) or deities. Nor do I believe its reasonable to participate in any modern religion, because through the study of human culture alone you would know that our species has participated in a great many worship cultures. Our current religions survive mostly due to its inherent political influence and ability to provide idle mental thought with issues such as how to better please your deity.

Even if I do not believe that any one religion is correct, I still cannot say that I can discount that proof that there is any one God. For all we know, there many be a greater creator roaming the universe setting events in place to cause the eruption and evolution of life. This being or beings may not be omnipotent, omnipresenct, or all-good, but maybe they do have some greater power? Maybe they do not even consider themselves to be gods, but just intelligent creative people. Who knows? I don't think its an issue to dwell on and we'll probably die without ever knowing and never find out in the non-existing afterlife.

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[–] Slutmiko 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

This started me down the path I'm on.

Gamergate made me finally shake off my "liberal" label for good.

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[–] VicVac 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Look at all these former Roman Catholics here... I smell a conspiracy!

Well, if there is a former Roman Catholic conspiracy on Voat, I too am a part of it as a former Roman Catholic. I started to question it mostly because of the internet, with most websites being largely populated by Atheists it was inevitable I'd run into some. Most of the discussion didn't phase my young mind at first, but it did slowly start to eat away at my faith. Over a year or two it slowly wore my belief away, and, somewhat ironically, the tipping point was something we were told at the church classes you take as a Roman Catholic. It was something along the lines of "look deep down in your heart and find out why you really believe." And that's exactly what I did, and what I found is that I didn't really have a reason other than that was how I was raised, nothing more. I figured that if I was born a house down the street, I'd be some sort of protestant; if I was born in India, I'd be Hindu; and if I was born somewhere in the Middle East, I'd be Muslim. That was no reason to believe, so I stopped and now consider myself Agnostic.

It also didn't help that puberty did some voodoo magic on me and I ended up gay. That certainly didn't help me stay religious.

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[–] FriendlyFire 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Raised Roman Catholic here too. I went to an all-girls Catholic high school, and the moment that did it for me was when an administrator (a nun) called me into her office to reprimand me because parents of prospective students had called her to say that I was telling "everyone" that our school made you gay. Then she proceeded to tell me I could "get help" for any homosexual urges I might be experiencing (this is especially hilarious because I was in a heterosexual relationship at the time). I very politely told her my sexual orientation was no one's business and to expect me not to return in the fall (this was a big deal because of a scholarship I had to their school).

Anyway, that's how I ended up at a public fine art school and a stout atheist.

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[–] frankup 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I was raised to be roman catholic but my doubts about religion started real early when I was in 5th grade. I never took CCD seriously, which was a once a week after school religion program. I constantly failed quizzes/tests, didn't pay attention, just didn't care about it to be honest.

my sister who is a few years older than me was supposed to take a trip to new york city for CCD, my mom paid for it, then the 9/11 attacks happened, and the trip was supposed to take place soon after 9/11. my sister didn't want to go anymore. how are you going to make a young kid go to new york city after witnessing a devastating event on the news? my mom tried to get her money back for a very legitimate reason, but the church wouldn't give it to her. my mom was a single mother raising two kids working a part time job. money was always tight. that day she took my sister and I out of CCD and disconnected herself from the catholic church. she told us the church was greedy and didn't care about anyone but themselves.

she eventually regained her faith in god, but not through the catholic church. she said she doesn't need the church to have faith so she follows her own beliefs.

my sister and I were no longer subjected to the brainwashing so we grew up and developed our own sense of what to believe, and it isn't religion.

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[–] LizardBreathe 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

When people would guess my political affiliation after a short conversation. I realized that I don't fit the Democrat mold very well and should stop thinking of myself that way.

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[–] fireflyserenity 0 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago 

Former Roman Catholic here. The dogma is just ludicrous when you take a moment to think about it. A god that presides over the entire universe is upset when I masturbate? Beautiful, innocent children get cancer and die, and people think that this is somehow part of a bigger plan? I mean, the book of Leviticus is a joke. It's tough to stay in line with the dogma when you just don't believe in it.

Politically, I am astounded as to how my views have changed as I get older. What made sense 10 or 20 years ago seems absurd now.

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[–] tarrasque 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

I wasn't raised Roman Catholic, but Baptist. And for me it was George Carlin. When "You Are All Diseased" came out I was attending a private christian school that my mother made me go to, and Carlin opened my eyes to the bullshit that the school, and the church was spewing. I told my mom that I wanted to go to a public school, and walked away from all of it and I've been happier since.

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[–] chakan2 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

College...just meeting people and exploring subjects outside of what was commonly taught / discussed in my little po-dunk conservative town made me re-examine my world views.