Questionnaire (for atheists, but others are welcome too)

[ficklefiend]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

Had these thoughts from an early age, maybe 6-7, but I didn't know the word "atheist" or self-identify as one until I was about 15-16.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?

I remember telling my mum when I was 16. She said "you can't say that!!". She doesn't know it, but she's a big fan of Pascal's wager. Other than that I only really bring it up if I'm asked.

- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?

No, religion doesn't affect my life very much. Sometimes I feel excluded at religious ceremonies, but that's just the way things are done.

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?

That it is in any way "fundamentalist". I detest that adjective.

- Anything else you'd like to share?

What's so fantastic about Jesus anyway?

[Gareth1984]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

Sometime during secondary school, as a child I'd always had more deistic style beliefs however in my early teens I become sceptical of god/s. To my shame however it took
until much later in my teens before I shed belief in the supernatural as an whole.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?

I never had to come out as fortunatly I live in a secular household which has what can only be considered an apathetic attitude to religion.

- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?

Thankfully in he UK there is little stigma attached to being an atheist. I do however feel sympathy for those atheists unfortunate to find themselves in the US bible belt or the middle east.

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?

I'd live to see the misconception that atheists believe there is no god corrected. I simply lack belief in God/s rather thanholding an active belief there is no God

[dyet-b]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

Always have been, though it did bother me when I was younger. I thought something was wrong with me if I couldn't believe like others seemed to do. But eventually I grew out of this discomfort.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?

I didn't have to officially come out, I never kept it as a secret.

- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?

No. Luckily I always lived in societies where being an atheist wasn't an issue.

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?

The misconceptions that "atheism is a religion" and "atheists cannot be moral".

Thank you!

You are welcome!

[rachelbean]

- How/when did you become an atheist?
I was raised and active as an evangelical christian, but I always had questions that were never answered. It resulted in me breaking away from the formal church as a teenager, into a more liberal christian world which I was active in for a while. I met my ex-husband (I got married at 18) and from there together we ended up at an Episcopal church (which I still have fond memories of) and were there for a while until we found an Indian Orthodox church which was very similar and both taught that hell had been abolished, all things would be reconciled, etc etc. My marriage started to fall apart, and I had always had a agnostic side but that made me question most my beliefs about things like destiny. Next several years I was agnostic and the more I got into science the further up the scale I climbed, but I often still said "I could never be an atheist" because I was under the false assumption that I would have to be 100% sure there was no God/supernatural. I read Dan Brown's "Godless" and in the middle of it I realized I was an atheist. That was a year or so ago, and here I am much more comfortable with myself.


- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?
Slowly been doing that, but it's more a case of not hiding my beliefs than "coming out".


- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?
Not that I'm aware of.


- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?
What I'd like my old christian friends and family to understand: It's not a faith or belief. I'm not angry at God. You don't need God or faith to have peace, quite the contrary.


- Anything else you'd like to share?
Blind faith is NOT a virtue. You should never make a child feel guilty for asking questions or using their intellect.

[Lion IRC]

I hope this thread doesn’t die.
The responses are really interesting.
Being "born that way" versus development. Rejecting the claim that atheism requires faith versus the relative "strength" of ones atheism.
The idea of "coming out". The role of science/evolution. The apparent ease with which people can decide for themselves in contrast to the scourge of indoctrination.
Random musings on atheism.
Great food for thought.
Thanks – Lion (IRC)

[rezling]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

The eureka moment happened back in June 2009.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?

Jan 22, 2010. I changed my Facebook status to read "is atheist"

- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?

I've been abandoned by all my friends and treated like a diseased person by family. Does that count as discrimination?

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?

Ask me again later.

- Anything else you'd like to share?

coming out story happened here: http://forum.richarddawkins.net/viewtop ... 0&t=107062

[CookieJon]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

Like others have said... the day I was born. Despite being sent to Sunday School and church briefly when I was young (just to get rid of me for the weekend, I suspect now), I had always just assumed that Bible stories were just fables, not to be taken seriously. My only real surprise when I grew older was realising just how many of the adults didn't see it that way! ("Are they idiots or what?", I remember thinking to myself) I thought it was obviously all bollocks ever since I was a child - especially since the particular religion you belong to just happens to depend on which country you're born in.... that was the first hint for me.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?

This is such a weird question, and one that shows there is obviously a huge cultural difference between your country and mine in that you actually thought to ask it. Who "comes out" as an atheist?? In Australia nobody really cares if you're atheist or not (unless, I guess, if you're from a v. religious family). It's not a big deal. You're more likely to be derided socially if you're overtly happy-clappy, in fact.

- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?

No, but I have faced discrimination as a result of others' theism. (I'm not allowed to marry my partner of 13 years, for instance, because of meddling busy-bodies who want to inflict their precious beliefs onto everyone else whether they like it or not.)

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?

I hate it when theists try to label atheists as "dogmatic" or "religious" about their atheism. It always amuses me that such epithets are used derogatively by people who really are religious... sort of striking an own-goal if you ask me!

EDIT: Oh yeah, just re-reading others' responses and I'd like to add that I believe I have higher morals than any Christian. Christians don't really have morals at all, IMO, since they're only behaving how they're ordered to under threat of punishment. If God told them to do something wicked (for which there are numerous precedents) then they'd have to do it without question. If they cherry-pick only the things they think are moral from the Bible, then by what right do they say Christians have superior morality if, in the end, it comes down to a decision to reject certain christian "morals" in order to actually be moral.

- Anything else you'd like to share?

Anything in particular you want to know?

[affirmedatheist]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

About a year ago. I had been Christian since about 13, (now 24), and was even pretty close to a fundamentalist (egadz). A relationship went further than I had decided I should have in my faith place, and I used the opportunity to re-evaluate my views. I shifted to being somewhat agnostick for a while, and when a good friend (whom I've known since early highschool and am still in contact with this day) suggested reading TGD, I decided to read it and that pretty much put me in Dawkins position.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?

Friends on facebook, family haven't really had any fancy coming out... Faith was never pushed by the family so much.

- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?

I have to say no, actually. amost of my facebook pals are Christian and none of them have unfriended me.

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?

Priimarily the definition (which should be tied to its etymological roots (athos; literally without gods).

- Anthing else you'd like to share?y

Not really.

[sifaka]

- How/when did you become an atheist?
I've always been an atheist.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?

My mother is an atheist, and my father is an ex-catholic, now agnostic.
I'm French, where religion is by and large, a quaint anachronism so I've never had to "come out".

Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?

Yes, while I was living in the United States (New Hampshire), my ex-husband's aunt absolutely refused to let me enter her house.

Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?
"Atheism is a belief too."
"Atheists have no morals."

[Sisifo]

- How/when did you become an atheist?
I was raised as catholic. During the two years studies, seminaries and preparation to do the confirmation, that's about the age of 18, I had to do some retirement weekends, intense bible and cathecism studies and so on. I realized that I could not believe in any of the things I was studying. I went to my confirmation to see if my doubts were cleared magically, and I exited the church being an atheist.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?
I read to them and we discussed many anticatholic and antireligion books, and I used to blame the church while watching the news. There were other signs, like I demanded that any religion symbol should be taken off the walls.


- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?
In many jobs, it has been pointed out as a source of discomfort, but I have not been discriminated.

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?
Atheism is nothing new; it is not a fashion started by Dawkins, Hitchens and the others. It is not scientism, nor rationalism. It is not simply nihilism of metaphysics.

- Any thing else you'd like to share?

Like others: We seem to take ourselves too seriously, and the "enlightened" stance is a piece of crap.

[GrayToneS]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

I consider myself to be a 'non-religious man', society has labeled me an atheist. I have been non-religious since birth.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?

I've never had to. I just am. The know who, and what I am through interaction.

- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?

My good friend calls me the "monkey man", but its all in good humor. I have a few family members that quite literally gasped upon hearing my beliefs. But nothing I would consider "discrimination".

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?

They are not devil worshippers. They are not evil.

- Anything else you'd like to share?

Good luck with your report, I hope our answers have helped.

[BrettA]

I'm doing a project in school on atheism at the moment, and it would be really helpful if some of you could answer these questions...

- How/when did you become an atheist? ... Born that way, never indoctrinated to some theist way.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?... N.A.

- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism? ... Yep (especially since being on forums).

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected? ... Yep (TMTM).

- Anything else you'd like to share? ... Nope. But free free to ask whatever you might want.

[Godless Libertarian]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

I was raised Roman Catholic and broke from "organized religion" somewhere around the age of 14-15, I refused to attend mass anymore, an action which was met with resentment from immediate family, but I stuck with it and eventually it became a non-issue. My beliefs became progressively more liberal. At college, I experimented with deism for a short spell, but the infinite regress didn't sit well with me. At some point I remember thinking "I'm an atheist now". I discussed it with a friend of mine who came back the next day and basically decided he was an atheist too, lol.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?

Different times with different people. Reactions weren't really all that bad. Much less confrontational than the experiences I've heard about from others.

- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?

Nope. Then again, I've never run for office.

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?

The biggest thing for me would be the idea that atheists claim to "know" there is no god. Absolute certainty is essentially a theistic idea. There are vastly more atheists who do not realize they are atheists than those who do realize it. I'd love for them to stand up and be counted.

- Anything else you'd like to share?

Yes. I would like to note that I despise Glenn Beck.

[leo-rcc]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

I guess I've always been an atheist. I did go to communion in the RC church, but that is such a farce. I was way to young to even understand these implications so I just went with the flow. At a class called Maatschappijleer (Social studies I guess) I was asked if I believed in a God and answered "I believe something like a god might have existed, but i see no reason to believe one exists now". Now I don't even believe that one might have even existed at all.

I started to become more vocal about it once I found out that creationism was not only prevalent in the US, but in my country as well (though not as bad as in the US, still it is a worry). Then I found that a lot of out current outdated laws are all remnants of Calvinistic and Lutheran views of scripture.

- How/when did you "come out" to your family/friends as an atheist, if ever?

I just flat out told them. My parents were never particularly religious, and my sister is more a deist.

- Have you ever faced discrimination as a result of your atheism?

I do have to be a bit careful not to thread to heavy as my direct boss is a Sunday school teacher at work. But he knows by now that I am an atheist, and we just declared talking about religion on the workfloor off limits. Having an ocean between us also helps.

- Are there any misconceptions about atheism you would like to see corrected?

I'd like to see rectified that atheism is seen as a religion.

- Anything else you'd like to share?

Not really. My story is pretty boring, but there you go.

[Jadestone]

Thank you for the replies everyone! This is giving me a better sense of where to take this project.

Replies posted after this post may not apply to what I'm working on (deadlines and such >.<) but I'll still read it because these are questions/answers that do interest me a lot, and I liked seeing reading everyone's responses.

Thanks again for the help, guys and gals!