Do most atheists come from Christianity?

[gotdangitbobby]

As far as I know this is quite rare, but I was pretty much born an atheist. I'm Turkish, so we have a lot of Muslims in the family, but my father is an atheist, and my mother was a deist, so I was raised in a non-religious home. Unlike most atheists, I didn't have some "grand enlightenment" or whatever. Since I was never brought up to follow any religion, it pretty much seemed like the natural path to take.  

[The Singular Enigma]

I was born and raised Catholic, went to church every Sunday, even confirmed. Then one, day, I just got fed up with the s**t I'd been forced into my whole life, especially the hypocrisy. I think it's because I just like scientific progress and ethics as set forth by religion are a HUGE roadblock to scientific progress and the scientific community as a whole.  

[alteregoivy]

My dad is "99.9%" atheist, and my mom doesn't talk about religion at all. But they wanted to give us kids a "moral compass" growing up, so the took us to the Methodist church when we were very little, as it seemed the least obnoxious of the denominations, and there weren't any Unitarian churches in our area. When the preacher made the sermon on Mothers' Day about how women should stay in the home and it's a shame so many are in the workplace these days, my mom, a doctor and the breadwinner for our family, vowed we would never go back.

All my little friends were Christian, though, and I had trouble fitting in. Southern Baptism is friendly to anyone who believes, and I just wanted to be accepted and to belong. My dad at least thought that I would realize how little sense it all made, but I didn't until later.

So it's not just being brought up in a religious family; even atheist parents can have religious kids when all their little friends are religious and panic and tell them they're going to Hell if they don't go to church with them.

Also, a lot of Asian "religions" are more philosophy than religion, and more cultural than anything. I think since it's not something a lot of other cultures think about all the time, there's not a need to justify or devote yourself to it. Christianity (and Islam), on the other hand, is a 24/7 job, depending on your denomination. You have to justify your beliefs all the time, so I think that's why a lot of Atheists seem to come out of Christianity; as Christians, they probably were forced to think about the whys of their beliefs often.  

[imderanged]

I was raised as a Methodist. My parents believed and tried to instill it in us, but at the same time it wasn't really PUSHED on us. We were not punished or berated if we questioned anything, and when we got a little older we were not forced to go to church. My mother had an "episode" when I was about 12 though, when she started getting exceedingly religious and started listening to so Jehovah's Witnesses who came around. She let them "study" with me and take me off to the "Hall"(their name for their church) with them too. Everything was "the Devil" (she took away my NIN albums!!!)
But eventually she got over it, and now she's a witch?!? It's just a little funny to me because she acted like I was crazy when I interested in Wicca when I was 14, but now she's walking around with Pentacles on an reading tarot cards. My mother, my brother and I debate the existence of god fairly often. We all feel differently, but we are pretty open to talking about it in my house hold.  

[XxHeresyxX]

Christian, primarily because about 80% of America is declared as a some sort of Christian denomination. Half my family on my Dad's side is Catholic, while the entirety of my Mom's side is Baptist. Growing up until they divorced, my Dad had the primary control over the matter and so we always woke up every Sunday morning to go learn the ways of Catholicism. However, when I turned 14 or so, I decidedly went over to my Mom's preference, primarily because growing up with my Dad, he lost a lot of will to attend. Up until I decided to abandon it all together because I found it all to be silly. Growing up does that.

Here, I wouldn't just spout random statistics without a source.
http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html  

[G4NTZ]

From what I see in school here in sask, most people are christian, Muslim or are too busy partying to consider it and say, "Sure, god sounds good to me. Whatever." I've only met one overly open christian that has read the bible, which is really pathetic to me. Most are still reading it but have no problem saying that it's the truth.
The reason why Christianity is so high in the U.S.A. and Canada is probably because people most just conform, not thinking about it too much.
This is probably not true for the generations of children in the 60s and 70s since they were mostly froce fed christianity. It's still like that today, just in select places though so the numbers arent so high.
Why my dad, a total believer, didnt force it on me as his parents did is probably because he's forgotten most of it and didn't like their policies on rock music. He does the "I hope you see it before it's too late" thing too.  

[Labtech Soosh]

My mother was Wiccan, I have NO idea what my fathers was(never met him, never can), and basically everyone else was christian in my family.

I was a christian at a very young age until I began to realize the obvious flaws somewhere...I believe it was before I turned a decade old.

 

[Nardone]

i guess so.. i was raised in a catholic family but switched..
but i do know one or two kids who used to be jewish..  

[D i v i n i t y]

I was raised Protestant.  

[Le Pere Duchesne]

I was raised in a 'meh' family. My dad was formally Catholic, my mother was formally Anglican, but actually believed in Catholicism, but they were both rather 'meh' about it.

That said, this is Australia, so...

meh?  

[StevenStBlaize]

I also that that the rigid rules by which Christians live cause many who were raised as one to turn away if they do not fit into the guidelines, unlike a more loosely structured religion, say... Buddhism.  

[Raticiel]

I live in Poland so it's rather common to be from a catholic family. Still, my family goes to church every sunday and it always made me mad, ever since I was a kid. One day, as a 7-8 years old girl, I asked my parents if I could stay outside and pray by myself (there was an altar next to the building). I had a big problem then and I wanted to pray for it or something. They told me, as expected, that I can't. So I went inside and decided I'll never be that way when I grow up.

And so, here I am. But it's not really religion I don't like. (in some ways at least). What I hate is the church. There aren't many things in this world which I hate, but this one is really something...  

[Tragic Orgy]

Some-what. Let me explain..

My dad is an atheist and my mother is a devoted Christian. If you're wondering, my parents are still together. They do not speak of religion to one another. My dad makes fun of Christianity with my brother and I, behind my mother's back. My mom makes my brother and I pray for my dad. LOL. Ironically enough, my brother and me both lack the belief in God, but she doesn't know that and we sill attend church every Sunday.

I was able to experience both worldviews and I prefer the atheist route. I don't have to worry day in and day out whether my dad will suffer in hell in the afterlife; I don't have to blame myself if my prayers are not answered, and best of all, I don't have to lie to myself to defend the Christian God. mrgreen  

[StevenStBlaize]

Tragic Orgy

Some-what. Let me explain..

My dad is an atheist and my mother is a devoted Christian. If you're wondering, my parents are still together. They do not speak of religion to one another. My dad makes fun of Christianity with my brother and I, behind my mother's back. My mom makes my brother and I pray for my dad. LOL. Ironically enough, my brother and me both lack the belief in God, but she doesn't know that and we sill attend church every Sunday.

I was able to experience both worldviews and I prefer the atheist route. I don't have to worry day in and day out whether my dad will suffer in hell in the afterlife; I don't have to blame myself if my prayers are not answered, and best of all, I don't have to lie to myself to defend the Christian God. mrgreen

You're family is almost exactly like mine, except both of my parents make fun of Catholocism even though my mother is very spiritual and goes to church every sunday. Hahah.  

[Tragic Orgy]

StevenStBlaize

Tragic Orgy

Some-what. Let me explain..

My dad is an atheist and my mother is a devoted Christian. If you're wondering, my parents are still together. They do not speak of religion to one another. My dad makes fun of Christianity with my brother and I, behind my mother's back. My mom makes my brother and I pray for my dad. LOL. Ironically enough, my brother and me both lack the belief in God, but she doesn't know that and we sill attend church every Sunday.

I was able to experience both worldviews and I prefer the atheist route. I don't have to worry day in and day out whether my dad will suffer in hell in the afterlife; I don't have to blame myself if my prayers are not answered, and best of all, I don't have to lie to myself to defend the Christian God. mrgreen

You're family is almost exactly like mine, except both of my parents make fun of Catholocism even though my mother is very spiritual and goes to church every sunday. Hahah.

Haha.. Your mom sounds friendly and down to earth. Do you attend church? I do. My mom doesn't know my lack of belief in God. She would probably disown me if she found out. :C

My mom tends to be very distant, cold, and unfriendly. On the other hand, my dad is a crazy non-conformist. He's the father I go to when I have relationship problems, girl problems, sex-life problems LOL, school problems...etc My dad is cool and intelligent. I cannot ask for someone better.