"Continue critical thinking" Dobiyi et probiyi DOUBT BUT VERIFY as Thomas Jefferson wrote to his favorite nephew: Peter Carr...."set reason in her seat, doubting the very existence of our creator, he will be proud you reasoned upon the subject. ..." the true "gospel" good news is as John Lennon sang " no hell below us above us only sky"

It is like leaving a Bad Marriage... you will be afraid because of possible consequences but it was a union arranged for you. Day by day you will learn to navigate and grow and learn and expand your view and understanding of what it is. One of the Greatest decisions a human being can ever do is Liberation of Dogma and Religion. Only way to find yourself and Restore Order to your being without chains.

After reading so many amazing comments I realized all I could add was you are not alone. Every day more and more are with you.

Realize that you are no different than the child who finds out there is no santa claus. That your parents have been pretending there was a santa in order to give you lots of things. It wasn't meant malignantly, or wasn't meant to hurt you.
Think of what Paul supposedly wrote:
When I was a child... but when I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

I started my doubts when i was a teenager in high school in ecuador and i always feel comfortable been atheist but not totally open with many of my family at the beginning.

In my case is been a process but started in high school with my classes of philosophy political-economic. Etc. Been what you want to be should come from your mind and heart and your principles and convictions. Been an atheist and love people nature and life itself it is a good combination. I am atheist and i also don't bother people that are not. I respect them but they should respect me also. Been atheist it is not sinonim of hate of something others call god. Been atheist should be a sincere way of conceiving life we are living with a profound harmony with everything around. So be a happy atheist is a must

Rely more on your own internal thoughts and what makes sense to you, instead of turning to what others have written about the subject, as that might lead one to subconciously try to adopt those views. Stay true yourself.

It's not really like that, is it? Doesn't our believe system evolve from our experiences?
For religions, I could see it: one decides to pursue Buddhism and reads books or goes to temples. But this is a dissolution of all that. There is no doctrine. Your belief system is complex and whether or not a god fits into it, and how, is a personal thing that varies greatly from person to person.

You are not alone and you are not crazy. Do not succumb to the pressures of those around you trying to push you back inside their box. And never be so alone to end this existence, the only one you have. Call me, we'll talk forever if it needs to happen.

Life is too precious to limit your intellectual experience to the confines of a book, any book ~

just do it, you will feel better the moment you decide

What god are you contemplating leaving behind?

Come on in, the water's fine!

Take it slow. Don't pressure yourself to know what you believe all at once.

Observe a week of silence (take a pencil and pad if you need to go to a store). Ask God to give you an answer about one of your most important questions.