When did you first realize that religion made no sense? For me it was one of the first times I ever went to church and I couldn't believe that everybody was listening to the person at podium.
When I was about 13 and went with my friend to a Catholic Midnight Mass. I left scratching my head while wondering how anybody could believe in that crap. A question that I am still asking myself.
When I became a Sunday school teacher and during series of life-changing events that I have no explanation for. I will refrain from sharing, but both played significant roles in my decision.
When I was 14, after being a moderate Christian who only went to church once a year, I decided to become a "better" Christian. I was having an identity crisis at the time and I wanted to figure out who I was. The funny thing is the more I learned about my religion the more I thought it was bullshit. It was very easy to be Christian the less I knew about Christianity. Ignorance is bliss, as people like to say. The turning point was when I was 16, I was depressed and going through a rough patch. I started to pray to god for help, but nothing would ever happen. I was still gaining a ton of weight, I still hated myself, I still dwelled on my own guilt. One time I was praying and I looked up at the sky and said, "What the hell am I doing?" "I'm talking to the clouds. I look and feel like a crazy person" "What use is this?" If anyone was going to save me, it would be myself. Shortly after this I began reading the Bible for the first time and I was not impressed with the contents of the book. Later I was watching Atheist v. Theist debates on youtube when I saw one with Christopher Hitchens, I found myself agreeing with practically everything he said and that was when I knew that I could no longer call myself a theist.
Christianity as presented by churches has never made sense to me from my early years. Not all religions are the same though. Some religions make perfect sense mostly.
my realization wasn't even about religion per se. i just realized, at age 15, that there were no gods. i was raised a secular jew. i still go on high holy days when i am well enough and i LIKE the sermons, but you have to know that there is no fire and brimstone in judaism. i liked the sermon about recycling! i don't have to take the god thing literally.
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