I think, therefore I am, atheist.

Your Religious Status

Atheist

About Me:

I was raised 7th-Day-Adventist early on, Evangelical Christian later on. College, the Military, and real life opened my eyes a lot. Further curiosity, education, reading, and digging led to my deconversion. I work in IT Security, did 6 years in the US Army, and have been happily married for 7 years (and count myself lucky she is like-minded when it comes to religion).

Age

31-35

Relationship Status

Married

Why are you here?

--Originally--
I Stumbled Upon this site and after lurking for a few weeks and following a few discussions, decided this was a community I wanted to be apart of.
--More Recently--
I'm here because I've found a group of like-minded people. I enjoy posting about and discussing the many topics that revolve through a community like this.

The religion you left

Christian

Why you left your religion.

disillusionment with church, doubts about god communicating to pastor, doubts about god communicating at all, inability to view god as anything more than a sadistic tyrant, contradiction between bible's claim of god's love and existence of hell, doubting bible led to crumbling away of any firm belief structure, Other

Why you left your religion. - Other reason

When I was in 4th grade my father had a falling-out with elders and left the church. The elders pressed my mother to divorce my father because he was a evil influence on her children. That was when I first determined that something about religion was wrong and corrupt.

In 10th grade, after having read the Bible, I started asking my youth pastor questions. This spiraled into more and more disbelief, and some bitterness toward all church in-general.

Some college, a stint in the military, and exposure to the larger world; and I was sure that the church was a control mechanism that was usually corrupt, and that religion was truly the root of all evil in the world.

I read about other religions and read a lot of mythologies. I pretty much decided that if I was going to have to believe in something, I would rather believe in Greek or Norse gods, or more Paganist beliefs of nature and Gia. But I just kept those thoughts to myself.

In 2006 I saw the Zeitgeist movie (the part on religion); and had an eye opener. I started researching and reading trying to check the facts quoted in the movie. Turns out many of the facts don't check out; but my research greatly contributed to my increasing non-belief. This eventually led me to more and more atheist sites, and it suddenly clicked one day, this was what I had been looking for: putting a title to my own belief that I did not believe in God.

Suddenly (or so it seemed) I was free! I honestly think I never realized that not believing in God was an option. The realization that it was an option, and that it was how I felt freed me on so many levels.

If you're interested you can find a more detailed deconversion story here.

Think Atheist Travel Network Couch Availability - Are you able to host anyone now?

Coffee or a drink

Twitter

http://twitter.com/AtheistJohnny