Why I Am An Atheist #24: Mistral

Boston Atheists member Mistral  writes:

Though my family was more of the "spiritual-but-not-religious" variety, lingering bits of my mother's British convent-school education and my father's upbringing in a "good Christian home" filtered down to me in bits and pieces throughout my youth.  Neither mom nor dad pushed these beliefs on me -- indeed, they encouraged me to explore my own ideologies and philosophies, but it is hard not be affected by these threatening superstitions when you are young and impressionable (hellfire and damnation for even thinking bad thoughts is not taken lightly at five years old...). 

Why I Am An Atheist #23: Jasmine

Boston Atheists member Jasmine writes:

I haven’t believed in a god since my youth, but my journey to declaring myself an atheist was a long one. The best description of myself before 2006 was probably a passive anti-theist. In 2006 I started to call myself an atheist. It was also at that time I felt it was okay for me to chime in when friends and others were discussing religion and/or spirituality. Before that date I would stay out of religious conversations. If anyone asked me about my religion...I would either say I was not religious, or that I wasn’t spiritual and leave it at that. In 2006, I decided there was nothing wrong with stating to people that I didn’t believe in a god.

Why I Am An Atheist #22: Robin

Boston Atheists member Robin writes:

My atheism story: I don't have a conversion story because I was brought up with no religion whatsoever. There was no discussion and the idea of God never came up. My mother had been brought up Catholic but after reflecting on all the senseless things the church believed, especially the misogyny, she decided that she couldn't put her own daughters through that. I think it all started with the fact that at the time, the church would not let girls serve at the altar, and she thought that was silly because she would have been the best altar kid ever. She doesn't think that religion has anything to do with gender.

Why I Am An Atheist #21: Barbara

Boston Atheists member Barbara writes:

Several years ago, I started on a quest for god, I questioned everything around me, and I was a believer at the time, but evidently not, I started to read everything and listen to everything I could on religion. I wanted god in my life but couldn't find him; I visited many churches, synagogues, never got to a Muslim temple though. The role of women in that religion immediately turned me off. I thought about changing religions, maybe that was it, not the right way to pray or to be religious in the right way, maybe that was my problem in my quest to find god.

Why I Am An Atheist #20: Adam

Boston Atheist member Adam writes:

I've got some of the same reasons for becoming an atheist as Vlad does [see the "Why I Am An Atheist" post of June 20, 2012]. I think that most self-pronounced atheists probably had very religious childhoods. Most people who weren't raised around religion don't seem to think it's as important to announce that they don't believe. Critical thinking, Science, Philosophy, etc. But I have a sneaking suspicion about another cause. Early infestation of Toxoplasma gondii.