My path was nothing like any of those 3.

Religion can be left/dumped/grown out of in many different ways. Many more than listed here. As a youngster I asked questions. The answers I received were usually incoherent, absurd, or unacceptable. Native intelligence is what kept me from being hooked. I also remember wondering why the other kids couldn't see it.

The above posts are correct. There are far more than three avenues to atheism. Rationalism, thinking for myself, and logic for me.

@StarvingArtist @evidentialist @skeptic70 @lerlo @Sierra4 @synergy @Kafirah Its time for a little crash course in human psychology.

[psychologicalscience.org]
[singularityhub.com]

Here is the TLDR, humans are not rational decision makers. Our choices are heavily influenced by emotion, environment, and other random factors. Our conscious experience seems to runs contrary to that, but this is because our conscious mind receives information from the subconscious mind through an "interpreter" that makes sense of the raw information.

Humans are not rational, we rationalize our choices and decisions after the fact.

"I bought a lottery ticket, because I thought I would win"
"I don't eat meat, because meat is destroying the planet"
"I voted for Trump, because he is a good candidate"
"I didn't vote for Trump, because he is not a good candidate"
"I am an Atheist, because there is no god"

These are all examples of rationalization. There is always a deeper reason to why people do what they do, and it isn't always perfectly coherent and rational. There is no logical answer to the question: "Is there a god?" No amount of science or logic can ever prove or disprove this, it's outside of what we are capable of understanding.

For everyone who believes that Science, rationality and higher learning was your key to becoming Atheist, I can say with a fair amount of confidence that you fall neatly into the 2nd category, of those who desire the conquering of religion.

@Happy_Killbot Have zero desire to conquer any religion. It is all just silly fairy tales. If someone wants to believe, then let them. I do not proselytize. To each their own.

@Happy_Killbot -- Not a surprise nor a revelation. Also, these observations do not preclude the presence of rational thought. They merely indicate what should be reasonably obvious to any thinking individual. Is the point you are hoping to make that there is a subconscious element to every thought?

@evidentialist I'm not saying that rational thought doesn't exist, just that any major decision, including the one to become atheist is driven more by emotion than most people are willing to admit, both to themselves and others.

@Happy_Killbot
I still like @StarvingArtist post. Short and true. In my humble opinion.

@Sierra4 These two are not mutually exclusive. Quite the opposite in fact.

Why does someone desire to learn about anything?

Why would learning about ancient history and science ever exclude the possibility of the existence of something totally unrelated?

How can we say that we understand something when it has only been explored for two and a half sentences?

It is the realization that there is nothing there to control or truly learn that results in anger and the desire to cause religion suffering.

Also notice how you say "I still LIKE" which kind of goes to prove my prior point. You understand, or rather feel like you understand StarvingArtist's point of view, so you rationalize that it must be correct, because the other point of view, which rationally you have to conclude could also be correct, is very profound and foreign to you.

@Happy_Killbot Not sure why you tagged me in that, but okay, I guess...

Thank you Mr.. Wonderful for your answer and foolish response. If you could read and had read some of the responses about the people who are mad at God then maybe it wouldn't be so foolish but maybe you can't read. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't ever respond to anything I post ever again thanks for your help good luck.
As for arrogant and mad you meet the profile

@lerlo You obviously buy into that religious claptrap too. That said, I'll be happy not to converse with you since it's senseless and only serves to muddy the waters of clear thought. Good day, sir.

Unfortunately that doesn't stop the people who believed from hating what they believed in

@lerlo Religious indoctrination does exist and I hate that. But there is no God to hate.

You saying you don't believe in words?