I apologise if this is long, but for those of you interested, I’m covering the important events that lead to my Atheism.

I was raised Catholic, but throughout my adolescence, I considered myself to be affiliated with various Protestant denominations.  Towards the end of my teen years, I really started to call into question the beliefs that I held.  I went to a highly academic public high school, which meant that I was exposed to a variety of beliefs within an intellectual setting.  In Grade 12, I took an International Baccalaureate Philosophy class that changed my life.  This class challenged me to question everything that I took for granted as true.  This is when I began to have doubts about faith in general.

For a couple of years, I lead a reckless party lifestyle that almost cost me my life.  I felt I needed a change, so I took initiative, regained control of my life, started working harder in school, and surrounded myself with more academically-inclined people.  I felt satisfied and proud to have done this, but I was soon sucked back into religion by a few people who were convinced that ‘God’ was giving me a ‘second chance’  and that I was somehow indebted to ‘Him’ and to everyone that I had hurt.  What I came to realise by being reacquainted with these people is that they had their own agendas- none of which prioritised my psychological wellbeing.  I couldn’t get answers or counsel from anyone in the Church, so I sought help from my University psychiatrist.  He helped me so much.  Upon realising that science had benefited me whereas faith hadn’t, I considered leaving the Church again.

Throughout University, Philosophy courses kept challenging me to think for myself.  I constantly tried to reconcile my support of topics such as evolution and gay rights with my ‘Christianity’.  I only dated Christian guys.  I went to church more.  I went to bible study.  I tried really hard to gain back my faith but it just wasn’t working.  I started reevaluating my efforts after taking a compulsory class called- you guessed it- ‘Logic I.’  Needless to say, after taking this course, I really began considering the likelihood that I was, in fact, an Atheist. 

My confidence in asserting myself as an Atheist did not come immediately, nor did it come easily.  I was surrounded by Christians in my personal life, surrounded by Atheists in my academic life, and neither party considered me one of their own because I didn’t stand firmly on controversial issues.  I didn’t seek acceptance, but I did fear not being tolerated.  In my third year of University (2012-2013, so, this year), I gained the confidence required to begin asserting my honest opinions.  Two Philosophy professors in particular- both sceptics- taught me that a lot of sceptics are actually really good people with intelligent views who are open to discussion, which gave me assurance and made me feel happy because Christians had tended to portray Atheists as mean, ignorant, and ruthlessly antagonistic.  One day, during lecture, my Epistemology professor approvingly called me the class’ “token sceptic” after I kept raising doubts on the topic of Justified Belief.  This surprised me because I had no idea I came across as a sceptic.  Later that week, a student awkwardly challenged this professor on his religious views.  In what I consider to be the most courageous response I have ever heard from a professor, he unapologetically told the class he was an Atheist, but that his lack of belief is irrelevant to his teaching and that he is dedicated to providing unbiased education.  Never before had I felt such an overwhelming admiration for someone as I did then.

Throughout the past few weeks, it has been extremely difficult to finally tell my friends the truth.  It’s been especially difficult since I am uncomfortably telling them I am Atheist as they look at the two Christian-themed tattoos that they know are too expensive for me to get removed.  It was also troubling to break up with an otherwise amazing boyfriend because I knew that had his family or his friends found out about my Atheism, I would have been condemned, ridiculed, degraded, and broken up with first.  However, I still feel I am making the right decision by living an honest life.

Every day, as I become less and less intimidated by backlash and criticism, I become prouder and prouder that I have embraced my reason as a means of seeking truth and making decisions in my life.  I’m really glad that my parents and good friends are supportive, and I am really happy to have finally joined this community.

Unfortunately, I live in the South, in the foothills of North Carolina, and I am surrounded by some of the most fanatical and bigoted people I have ever come across.  No, not all of them are that way, of course, but I really do work around a majority of people who are exactly that way.  It is exhausting.  I need a place where I can go, even if only in the cyber world, where I can speak with people who don’t think it’s a sin punishable by eternity in hell if you don’t believe in religion, especially if you don’t believe in Jesus.  By the way, these people know I’m a Jew (ethnically by my mother, not religiously), and all they ever really see when they talk to me is a Jew.  I am the token Jew of this small town, I guess you could say. hahahaha

I really do look forward to some lively discussions with you, and I’m happy to know you.

So…let’s see how this turns out.

OH, and a hello to Cioran.

The name’s Roger, and I’m a newly admitting Intolerant.

For years I took the position of the ethical subjectivist, thinking that if I allowed others to believe what they do freely without judgement (in retrospect I was just withholding it) that I too would be free. But the day has come that I can no longer wait for others to take on this position; it was dumb from the start. In the end they will always attempt to change you, so I may as well start fighting back.

I am more than ecstatic to have come out of this closet of philosophical theory, and hope to see Reason realized.

Again, good meeting everyone.

Hope to learn a lot here.

SusanF

I’ve browsed around a bit, and looking forward to some interesting discourse. I’ve never actively engaged a community of this type before, being more comfortable to hold my beliefs, study and learn independently, but recently I’ve been drawn to increasing signs that my own reticence in fact makes me culpable.

I look forward to getting to know you all.