Questionnaire (for atheists, but others are welcome too)

[GoodSmeagol]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

The day I was born.

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

I never asked, and acted and thought as if only fools believed in a god...
I do not think I even had a discussion on the subject with my parents until high school when a teacher said something religious and pissed me off, I went home and ranted to my mother, I guess she figured it out then? (She is a deist apparently)

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

In College, when I still was some what ignorant to the fact that most people believe in a god, and 2 teachers pulled religious bull shit and I got my ass handed to me by a class of 40 fundies.
One teacher - creationist pulled carbon dating to watcher maker, I was not learned on the subject to argue much other then, I do not think thats right...
Other teacher pulled uhh ?what if i am wrong? argument...
Then I shut up for a few years until a nutritionist told me nothing in my diet would help my health until i believed, because he would not let anything bad happen to me. I stormed home and hit the internet and found rd.net, 1000's of hours later here I am...

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

I do not really care what they think frankly, I lack a lot of respect for most people 1-3/7 scale, if I do not respect em, meh.
But I share my lack of belief openly, and feel equiped enough to stand my ground now.
[/quote]

[floppit]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

I was brought up in a believing family with extra religion side topping however from early childhood I played an active rather than passive part in my own beliefs. While I began with what was taught I questioned and attempted to reason fractions of it from the start, at first what was within the text and interpretation which rather inevitably led to doubting the text. As for a date re becoming an atheist, if it is the end date, the point at which the notion of agnostism (Sp??) would have been dishonest as I did not believe at all, then it would be in my teens as a reaction to learning about genes and genetic disease. I can remember the event but not the exact age or year - late 1980's?

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

Through the whole process I was vocal so there was no coming out. I value integrity and at no point pretended to believe one thing while actually believing another. My family had their views on it and probably still pray for my redemption - bless 'em! I never found the question of being open difficult, what will be will be but I won't pretend to be who I'm not because there's nothing I want down that path.

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

No, some believers feel I am deluded but that feeling is mutual and I don't get upset about it.

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

Absolutely! I see atheism and rationality as two completely different things. Rationality may lead to atheism but so can other things, just being persuaded, rebellion - you name it. Rationality is something which requires effort, discipline, care and enough humility to keep looking to improve, none of those things come as an instant default setting once a person decides there's no god.

- Anything else you'd like to share?

I don't have a great deal of emotion over religion, or the lack of it. I want reasoning at centre stage rather than religion.

[SPMaximus]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

Technically ive never believed in any magical beings, but i was still in the "Evangelical Lutheran" church, which is the most common one in Finland, i just never bothered leaving it until a couple months ago when i found out you can do it on the internet

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

I became an "official" athiest a couple months ago, no real reactions from family members, told my sister this weekend when we were visiting (she lives like 6 hours away), and she said she doesnt believe in any deity etc either, my mother didnt give me a straight answer when i asked her, i need to ask more people, maybe no one in the Lutheran church are religious, everyone just seem to be members Like 80% are Lutheran, but surveys say that about 60% of Finns dont believe in a invisible being, shame that people dont actually bother leaving the church

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

Not yet, but religion is pretty weak here, even if most are apart of the church, the only ones who seem to take it seriously are the priests and a few 80 year old ladies who go to church on Sundays

- Anything else you'd like to share?

If youre a Finn and you would like to leave the church (and not pay them taxes anymore): Eroakirkosta.fi


Edit: My fathers reaction when i said that im no longer a member of the church was basically "why bother leaving?", so my sister isnt religious, my mother isnt and my father isnt, yet all 3 are part of the church, this kind of bothers me, its so easy to leave these days, but they dont bother because the taxes that go to the church are so small that its not even noticeable, but when 80% of the nation pay them taxes, that will accumulate to a fair sum of money and you end up supporting a cause you dont believe in

[Midget]

- How/when did you become an atheist?

Always have been, parents are Agnostic so I was never indoctrinated in order to BECOME an atheist. I've studied the large majority of major religions and accept some of their viewpoints, but never felt any desire to subscribe to them.

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

Never have, it's just assumed I am. Any new people I meet never really discuss it so probably assume I am, or that I’m a lax CofEer

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

Unless you count not getting bread and wine in the mass I attended just to see, no.

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

That we follow the Darwin/Dawkins Religion.

- Anything else you'd like to share?

You're lumpy and you smell funny