I never sincerely believed in god, so I don't feel like it is a choice.

We are born not religious. Becoming religious is typically taught. Staying religious is a choice.

It is those who no longer believe those myths and legends.

I can't choose to believe something or not believe it. I don't believe in the tooth fairy, and I can't just decide to do so. I don't accept that two plus two equals five, and I can't decide to believe that it does. Unless there's persuasive evidence (good or bad, that's irrelevant) or an emotional need that otherwise clouds judgement, people can't accept something as true. I think we hear from fundamentalists sometimes in terms of choice because 1) they want it to be a choice so they can take credit for believing in their one true God, and 2) they do make one choice sometimes related to their belief, in that they don't think about or expose themselves to anything that might make them question their faith — and if they do have doubts, they're encouraged to seek out their church community for positive reinforcement. I don't consider that to be quite the same as choosing to believe so much as establishing oneself firmly within an echo chamber, but I can understand how they might turn that into justification for saying atheists and agnostics choose to not believe in God or Jesus or Allah or anything else they consider to be true.

I think its prolly a little of both. I started questioning god and religion out of anger, to me that was a choice. But came to conclusion it was highly unlikely. To me thats not a choice i consciously made, but rather the conclusion that my rationale made.

We are born into a society that inundates us daily with references to a Christian God. It's on our money, it's in our pledge, most patriotic songs include a reference to Christian God. Our politicians and media personalities make numerous references. It's written into most movie, tv, and visual media scripts.

My point, given that we are subjected to direct and indirect constant bombardment concerning a Christian God from birth to adulthood, is it any wonder why people buy in. Regardless how rational one is, to overcome that type of cultural indoctrination is difficult. To deny and reject is more than most people can accept. Therefore, getting back to original post, I see becoming atheism and agnosticism is definitely a choice.

Any decision is a choice. Pure and simple.

I had questions about my beliefs and had an overwhelming need to investigate them. I could not simply ignore them as I had been taught to do.

When I set out on my journey it was with the hope of it strengthening my faith. I thought the god I believed in would rather have an informed, rather than a blind, follower. I prayed to this god until I stopped believing in it. I did not set out to become an atheist. It was a natural consequence of opening my mind to things I had been taught to fear and ignore.

It can be argued that I made the choice to investigate my beliefs; but I did not choose to have doubts and questions--they just kept popping into my head and the need to know more was too strong to ignore.

So, I would have to say that I did not choose to become an atheist. Just as I could never choose to once again be a believer (not that I would want to).

It’s kinda like breathing, comes naturally!

I tend to agree with you. I tried very hard to keep my religious faith in my late teens, but it was just not possible. No regrets now, of course, but at that age if I could have kept believing just because I wanted to so badly, I would have.

It's a conclusion one reaches after thoughtful investigation.

Children don't choose to be sexually mutilated or brainwashed/raped by family/clergy.... all living species are born hatched sprouted Atheists....they are all free of religion until the evil faiths are inflicted upon victims

I'm with you ~

Some of us were brain washed from a very young age . While I'm sure a great many people do recognize religions are inconsistent and illogical , if they choose to consider it as an adult , many don't revisit the things they were taught , and others simply figure it's a lot easier to go along , to get along . For many , their religion , is a large part of their social life . Some seem to feel , as adults , you can either sit in a bar with a lot of smokers and alcoholics , and possibly drug addicts , or you can attend church functions , some of which actually include good works , they can feel proud of - building hospitals , holding soup kitchens , providing spaces for AA , building homes for the homeless , providing schools , etc.

Personally I have never chosen because I don’t know that I really care what the label is.

If we are honest, unless we declare ourselves agnostic, most people who are not religious are agnostic anyway, but they don’t give it any headspace.

I am not interested in golf, motor mechanics or DIY. Doesn’t mean I am anti those things, I’m just not interested. I am certainly,a-golf a-cars and a-DIY, however.

Choice indicates there are rational reasonable options. The "choice" of agnosticism is rational and reasonable. Any other choices are based on manmade myths that are used to control or to give solace to the fact that we all die but we can continue on with the idea that there is a Heavon or Hell. For some reason, this false guidance makes some feel better. We don't want to think we cease to exist when we die. Actually, we don't know what happens when we die.

Well I can only speak for myself, and IMHO labels are fairly unimportant. But If I have to put one on myself, I'll have to call myself an Agnostic Atheist. Atheist, because I in no way believe in an entity whom of which governs all of life, let alone anything "supernatural". Agnostic, because I can't prove any of that 100% regardless of how silly any of it may seem. But on a side note, the others, meaning "believers" can't prove it either. All that said. I am more interested in better discussions like Biology, Entropy, Red shift, Evolution and many other of the same ilk conversations. Well those and general great people that have beyond the norm to "better humanity" for lack of a better word.

I choose to ignore mental masturbation.

if course it is a choice. there is nothing inevitable about it. people question with open minds but they're sitll human and may compartmentalize; no one is perfect.

g

So which are you? I am an agnostic. I consider the possibility that there exists a possibility that a "being" some that is "intelligent" is our "God". Perhaps we are a simulation is a vastly more intelligent universe. This could be considered to be "God".

Because I can not exclude them but don't embrace them as true I simply am honest. I'm really an agnostic. I remember the words of my intro to Philosophy Prof. who said that agnostics were on the fence and this wasn't even a real position on the issue. But honestly, I'm on the fence. Perhaps I wish I wasn't. I'd be happier if I were a full-fledge atheist but I'm not and can't honestly say that I am.

For me...the only ''choice'' was in when to ''come out'' to the world about a mind-set which just seemed normal. Any thinking person would realize (probably gradually, over time) there's no god and we've all been fed bullshit by our society.

I agnostic because my opinions formed that way, based on lots of information I took in.
If I'd taken in different information, I guess they could've formed another way, but they didn't.
Today, I CHOOSE the information. At some point in the past, it was probably pure chance. I didn't choose it.
Then, I began to choose.
Now, somebody can CHOOSE one's own label.
I don't call myself an atheist because I believe that to be an unreasonable and fallacious position, only slightly more valid than theism.
But that's, I think, more a semantical argument, at least I cling to that hope

I feel like I have no choice!

Both still possible to learn and yet remain a believer with a closed mind