Do we decide to become atheists?
In my case it was not a conscious decision. It’s more like a rope that was slowly snapping thread by thread until one particular day when my mind was a bit busier than normal tackling the usual questions of the day (why evil? why poverty? why life is unfair? why many priests and bishops seem stupid or lying or ignorant? why? why? why?), the rope snapped completely - I “realized” that the existence of “god” and the hypotheses that are built around this “god” was what was distorting the picture of reality. That the reality that supposes the existence of such a being is an illusion we created; the universe doesn’t care and it doesn’t need a “god” to explain many things we - I - already knew. I wasn’t particularly examining the evidence for or against “god”. I was looking at the world trying to make some sense out of what I see and accept as obvious but I wasn’t being satisfied with the “standard” answers that were so far given me by the Truth authorities. I was trying to unintentionally systematize my thoughts and ideas by trying to resolve the fundamental issues not knowing what it would lead me to. I wasn’t even thinking that I was weighing “god” and the arguments for or against it. Then I crossed the line - it’s “god” itself that was muddling things. I didn’t know “god”, I was only made to believe it. At least that’s how I remember it.
I remember feeling proud and happy about my big “discovery”. 
How did you “decide” to become an atheist?
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May 8th, 2008 at 7:15 am
On your statement “not being satisfied with the standard answer”. If the answer is always god then the debate ends. Michael Shermer of the Skeptics Society calls the answer of god the debate stopper. When god is the answer, the debate stops and there can be no more inquiry.
I to was not looking to disprove god, but eventually that is where the road led. As children we learn that there is no Santa, angels do not exist, fairy tails are just stories to learn from and not real. As an adult you (naturally) question things, including faith, belief systems, etc… After thiking about such things (I think) one can only conclude there is nothing supernatural, no psychics or clairvoyants, no chi or ki, no such thing as karma or luck. I see that you are based in the islands so..there are no faith healers and no psychic escrimadors that can read your thoughts.
“I was only made to believe it.” That reminds me of what the philosopher Daniel Dennett says in his book, “Breaking the spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomena.” In it he states that there is belief in god and the belief in the belief in god. I think that as children, and even as adults, that is mostly what we all believed in.
Thank you so much for such a great site. I see that your last post was last month. what’s going on now in the P.I..
Kriss
May 10th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
The “god” answer is stupid now that I think about it. It stifles true knowledge and honest inquiry.
I’ll try to post more by staying away from the other sites that I frequent.
cheers!
KSW