I wanted to PROVE to my friends that my religion was true. When I set out to find proof that it was true, I discovered that there was no proof, and the evidence pointed toward it being mostly mythology. Therefore, I discarded religion and became an atheist. Hooray!

The whole idea of religion is to not ask questions about your religion. The preachers yell a lot about Faith. They want you to beelieve without asking questions.

Realizing a big sky daddy that allowed Biafra Babies couldn't possibly be reconciled in my head.

It’s going to sound dumb, but the show The Tudors. I know historical accuracy regarding Henry VIII was off the mark, but some of the general historical information regarding religion is commonly accepted. The Catholics and Protestants murdered each other, depending on who held power at any given time, and in such unspeakable ways, simply for being the other religion. But of course it was about really power & control which equals wealth. The Catholic hierarchy were adultering hypocrites. Did you know Catholic priests used to be allowed to be married until the church got tired of the widows asking for financial support? But now of course, their celibacy is a holy sacrifice. I guess the horror depicted on the show finally made me completely accept that religion is the foundation for most of the wars and oppression throughout history. The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Reformation, Salem witch trials, Slavery (the children of Ham) & its repercussions we live with to this very day, white Christian supremacists killing Jews and other “less-thans,” Jews vs Muslims, Northern Ireland. Even factions of the same religion pitted against each other. The war over Israel will never be resolved until god itself comes down, fists on hips, and says who he really gave that land to and tells them to knock it off.
So this fluff of a show finally allowed me to embrace that religion is bullshit and nobody should be dying over it.
I also think a good comedy show can be made about how all the pomp, circumstance & serious rituals were decided on.

The greatest enemy of truth, it turns out, is not indoctrination, but identity needs.

test everything, and keep what is good so whomever was telling you that you had to accept any answer on faith was lying i guess

The way I started my departure from religion was more or less like yours, and then an avid thirst for reading books to find the truth.

I went into agnosticism at age 20, and came out the other side as an atheist at age 30. My own position is that the Scientific Method produces far more useful models of the natural world than does religion: a vaccine against tetanus is far more effective than "trying to pray away the disease".

I do not, and cannot, understand the mentality of those who cling to religion like a drowning man.

Me spending the rest of eternity in Heaven singing the praises of the genocidal maniac known as the God of the Bible? No, as that would be pure Hell.

I also have an aversion to those who use religion as a way of fleecing other people of their hard-earned cash.

I too allowed myself to question what I had been taught, with the mindset that what I had been taught might be wrong. My angst-filled journey from believer to atheist took a little over a decade. Learning more about the origins of the bible (actually reading it, from start to finish, with an open mind) enabled me to see that it is a human creation and I was able to let go of the belief in the very contradictory god described within its pages.

Free from the chains of religion, I was able to learn more of the sciences that I was taught to fear, dismiss, and ignore. In doing this I realized that there is no need for a god in order to explain the universe; and inserting one actually complicates things as one has to ask the questions: which god? And, how did a creator being (or beings) come into existence?

I strongly identify as atheist as I hold no belief, whatsoever, that any type of god exists. However, I am also agnostic as I make no claims of knowledge about the non-existence of any gods.

I think for me it was when my age groups was supposed to read the old testament, at the saem time as we were lookign at greek mythology in high school. Not really too much difference.

When I started reasonably thinking, I decided not to believe in hype or bullshit. As simple as that.

A comment below mentions "Jesus Camp", Take a look at the video and see what these people are doing to children.

I grew up rather passive, but solidly in the Roman Catholic culture(Irish/Italian focus)...Catholic High school in the 70's was "hep", taught us to question authority, demand answers...I did...my questions could not be answered...
You're right though..."accept on faith" seems the only way a devotedly rational person may glom onto the culture...

I always think there is always some bias, no matter what. We just cannot help it but we try.

I finally looked straight at the myths, nonsense and POWER and I asked myself: Tom, are you a fucking idiot or not? I decided that I wasn't.

Questions - yes.
At about 15 , I had a bunch of them. And they were usually greeted with less than enthusiasm.

Questions, an open mind, and a tendency for independent thinking. None of this jives with the "faithful".

I read all the bible. Not just the KJV.

We who become emancipated get free in many ways but what they share in common is questioning. It is entirely human to satisfy curiosity. That is why the indoctrinators, political and 'religious' start as soon as possible to confine and control curiosities and developing minds before the ability to reason emerges.

Some indoctrination programs last until adulthood and are more or less permanent in their damage to intellect and psyche. Celebrate! You've escaped at least one master. Watch out for the political cult masters lying in wait!

I suggest applying the questioning to everything in our existence and learn to follow your inner knowing. Its not just religion that doesn't make sense, there is so much more, including education, capitalism, the concept of kingdoms, the acceptance of rich and poor, why people lie so much, why are women told how to raise their children instead of using their natural instincts, why do men run the world if women are smarter, etc., etc.

From the first time I heard a lie come out of my mothers mouth I have questioned everything around me, and I was 3 years old.

The mother of my daughters would tell you that I drifted from "true religion" when I started reading those books about the Dead Sea scrolls. People that think like she does will ask you why the gospel writers are not the ones who's names appear as the writer. The gullible cannot figure out what the writer would have to gain. Imagine for a minute that the book is a counterfeit famous painting. Is it taking shape now? Why do people want to believe that a god requires the shedding of blood over a rule that the god himself made? Then there is the burning of meat and the sweet savor of it to this god who needs all the praise forever and ever.

To me there's no science to backup a religion of any sort and or gods I have to live in the here and now. I learnt that and Catholicism.

Here's a thought....

Why would a god have "riches" (gold and such) in heaven?

Why would a god be a prince with a "kingdom"?

Why would a god "offer you" riches in heaven? Because you're poor on earth.

It seems like a mind game of some sort.

When I was 14, a friend's arguments moved me from literalism to nothing. In recent years, I have moved myself from nothing to figuratism.