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How many atheists didn't become or realize that they were atheists
until they were at least 30 years old?
Me?
*ME*?! Was *I* one of those?!
BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!!!
Er, actually... yeah, I was. %}
Yep. 'Tis sad, but true.
I actually believed the entire "Saga of the Magic Space Pixie" story, including the whole bit about his long haired, parable babbling, human/Magic Pixie hybrid hippy son too, I'm afraid.
And the cruelest cut of all, was I believed it all for over are you
eady for this?) *FORTY* fucking years.
Yep. For 40+ years I believed in that crap.
And where did it get me? What did it do for me? Was it worth it?
Nowhere, not a damn thing, and nope.
(I was such an idiot back then.)
Anyway, the conversion from brain-dead bleater to clear-thinking atheist was a gradual process brought about by a steady diet of Stix posts and
the rational argumentation of many, many others besides. I won't even
begin to try and name who those others are lest I leave someone's name
out, but you know who you are. If you were a reasonably regular poster to alt.atheism during the few months preceding the momentous day of May 27, 1997, then consider yourself personally thanked from the bottom of my heart. ("Fish" (David B. Trout) #623)
16 at the local hospital, laid flat on my back so I had lots of time
to think. Also I think the poor chaplain had a hand in it to. If he hadn't wound me up so much it may have been many more years before I questioned
my faith. By the time I left hospital (3 months later) I was an atheist, though I am not sure I quite realised it then.
If you don't mind answering, I would be interested in knowing what the
chaplain did/said to you that pushed you toward atheism.
message 2
Nobody told me exactly how close to death I really was. The chaplain visited me twice a day for 2 weeks. He stayed for about an hour each
time. His main message was that I had to confess all my sins to Jesus I would be rewarded in heaven. So I started to confess. I stopped after
only about 30 secs - I was a very clean cut child - then the chaplain
said that now Jesus had heard my sins I would be ok. This made me think. Wasn't he supposed to know what I had done with my life, why did he need
me to repeat it all in front of a witness. So that afternoon I asked the chaplain. He was a bit stumped at first then came out and said that I
was saying it so I knew what I had done wrong and therefore could be forgiven. I then thought on this and came up with a weird question. If
I had forgotten a sin, and therefore never spoke it, would this be held against me. This made me start reading the bible again. Which as anybody knows brings up even more questions. These questions I put to the
chaplain for him to answer. At first he did, and I would think up some
more questions. It came to a head after two weeks when I think he had enough of my questions, they were getting harder. He stated "you must not question, you must accept God without doubt. Put anything that causes you problems away. Just concentrate on loving Jesus." I will never forget
that sentence as if I had been better I would have leaped out of bed shouting WHAT!!!! Not question. I knew even then, that if you don't question then you cannot learn and grow. I had heard of blind faith but never thought I would meet it. I thought all afternoon about the chaplain and what he had said. At that time I thought he had a problem with his faith, not me. I requested that he not be allowed to visit again. I
carried on reading and coming up with even more questions which I was determined to sort out when I got out of hospital. It was however to be a long stay.
The only other thing that also made me think was the fact that my mother visited each day. She would make me pray with her for my recovery. After 100 such prayers they start to wear thin. They also start you to question the power of prayer. (Xalan #1211)
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