# What age?



## VisionCasting (Oct 1, 2010)

For the atheists, at what age did you solidify your belief that there is no higher power, and can you describe your "ah ha" moment?

Not to leave out the agnostics...   At what age did you decide that faith was irrelevant and not worth pursuing?  What were the circumstances of that decision like?


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## Achilles Return (Oct 1, 2010)

It was transitional. I grew up in a very strong church environment. Eventually, I started to address things that didn't make sense to me. I backed away from exclusivity claims by christianity. Slowly, I changed from a very moderate christian to something more deist. 

I finally realized that the only reason I still subscribed to a god at all was because of how deeply ingrained it had been in my childhood. 

This happened shortly before my 18th birthday. I am 20 now.


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## earl (Oct 1, 2010)

Late teens ,early twenties . Solidifies continually as life goes on. The older I get ,56 , the less I see in the organized religion. Especially Christianity as that was how I was raised and the one I am most knowledgeable about.


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## pnome (Oct 6, 2010)

VisionCasting said:


> For the atheists, at what age did you solidify your belief that there is no higher power, and can you describe your "ah ha" moment?



When I realized that the "God of the Gaps" that I had believed in, since I left Catholicism, was a dead end.

At that point, I became a de facto atheist.   I was 32.


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## ambush80 (Oct 6, 2010)

VisionCasting said:


> For the atheists, at what age did you solidify your belief that there is no higher power, and can you describe your "ah ha" moment?
> 
> Not to leave out the agnostics...   At what age did you decide that faith was irrelevant and not worth pursuing?  What were the circumstances of that decision like?



I don't exclude the possibility of a higher power.  How high are we talking?  Telekinesis?  Shape shifting?  Time travel?  Ain't seen it. Don't mean it ain't out there in the great yonder.

Faith is OK as long as it's kept where it belongs.  Like in my lucky rabbits foot or my lucky rat-l-trap. 

As far as a God goes, I am hard pressed to think that people have any clue what a God would be up to and therefore it's a waste of time to pay Him any mind.  If he wants to burn me with a giant magnifying lens like an ant, what am I gonna do to stop him?


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## VisionCasting (Oct 6, 2010)

pnome said:


> When I realized that the "God of the Gaps" that I had believed in, since I left Catholicism, was a dead end.



Not 100% sure I follow.  Please help me to understand.   You were raised Catholic and believed in God?  Then you left the Catholic church but still believed in God (were you practicing another faith tradition)?  Then you were exposed to the argument of "G-o-G" and decided that was true (at the age of 32)?


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## ted_BSR (Oct 6, 2010)

ambush80 said:


> I don't exclude the possibility of a higher power.  How high are we talking?  Telekinesis?  Shape shifting?  Time travel?  Ain't seen it. Don't mean it ain't out there in the great yonder.
> 
> Faith is OK as long as it's kept where it belongs.  Like in my lucky rabbits foot or my lucky rat-l-trap.
> 
> As far as a God goes, I am hard pressed to think that people have any clue what a God would be up to and therefore it's a waste of time to pay Him any mind.  If he wants to burn me with a giant magnifying lens like an ant, what am I gonna do to stop him?



I am not an atheist or agnostic, but, I agree with the red text. Part of the great mystery. I don't think it is a waste of time.  I *will* get burned like an ant, I am OK with that.


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## ambush80 (Oct 7, 2010)

ted_BSR said:


> I am not an atheist or agnostic, but, I agree with the red text. Part of the great mystery. I don't think it is a waste of time.  I *will* get burned like an ant, I am OK with that.




Yet all authors of religious text and their followers claim that they do know what God is up to.  They claim to have heard it from the horse's mouth.........and people listen to them.


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## VisionCasting (Oct 7, 2010)

Quit hijacking my thread!  

I am really interested in civil, authentic dialogue regarding the basis of the atheist's belief system.


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## ambush80 (Oct 7, 2010)

VisionCasting said:


> Quit hijacking my thread!
> 
> I am really interested in civil, authentic dialogue regarding the basis of the atheist's belief system.




If you are referring to this:



ambush80 said:


> Yet all authors of religious text and their followers claim that they do know what God is up to.  They claim to have heard it from the horse's mouth.........and people listen to them.



Then this is one of the reasons; in response to your original question.


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## ted_BSR (Oct 7, 2010)

ambush80 said:


> If you are referring to this:
> 
> 
> 
> Then this is one of the reasons; in response to your original question.



I think she might have meant me, I'll exit stage left.


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## Achilles Return (Oct 9, 2010)

VisionCasting said:


> Quit hijacking my thread!
> 
> I am really interested in civil, authentic dialogue regarding the basis of the atheist's belief system.



One thing you'll find is that it is unique to many an atheist. There is no central "atheist set of morals", or "atheist religious codes". Atheism is not a religion. It is merely a philosophical position in response to a single topic - belief in a god.


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