Parents influences

[=X-Sparker + AquaKiller=]

How many of you here are atheist because your parents are? Or your parents somewhat have an influence over you that leads you to become atheist in a way? If so, are they atheist or not? How did their belief lead you to your belief?

For me, my parents are atheists and they had great influence on me. They first lead me to question religions, and they let me go to a catholic school (the main reason was because that school has high grades). Then I really experienced religion myself, and obviously there were so many contradictions and conflicts in it that I'm more assured that religion is not my belief  

[Prince Rilian]

My parents told me the bible wasn't true stories, and my mom must have said at some point that g0d wasn't real, cux I must have gotten the idea from somewhere.

I was just a not-believing-in-god person then. Now I'm an atheist, because I read about religion for myself and discovered how stupid it and the g0d-concept really are.  

[Sanguvixen]

My parents are not Atheist. In fact both of them kind of look down on Atheism. My mother however is a very relaxed theist. She doesn't push religion on me, and she doesn't even go to church.

Since I was never really pushed or preached about religion growing up in my later/early teenage years(except for the times when I visited my dad) I was allowed to develop my ideas and opinions freely without biases.

In a way my mom's relaxed nature towards religion kind of allowed me to think enough to be Atheist...or at least that is part of it.

 

[Becka Minato]

My family all believes in god and all that religious crud, and I'm the only Atheist in the family. No one had an affect on me really, I was the one who began questioning religious stuff. My mom never pushed anything on me, but she doesn't like that I'm atheist.  

[Theophrastus]

I may not be the only Atheist, but I'm the only one who admits it.

It was difficult to make clear to my family that my turn to Atheism wasn't just part of a rebellious teen's moodiness. I guess after eight years they get it, but a few (including the one who raised me) still send me letters telling me to open my heart to Jesus. I even got one, today.

It's funny, because they're all in different denominations, from Methodists to Baptists to home-practicing agnostics to Seventh Day Adventists and they all bicker amongst each other over minutiae.

Oddly enough, the only person who ever supported me (and this was from a distance) was my Scientologist grand-uncle. XD  

[Arios V]

Both my parents are Agnostics, neither one pushed religion on me and both were minor influences on me being an atheist, the rest was on a personal choice after thinking about religion for a long time.

I've never talked with my Mom about me being an Atheist, so I don't know what she thinks about it. My Dad is weird, sometimes he supports me, other times he thinks it's a bad idea.  

[PickleBoy]

I was raised Methodist, went to church every other Sunday (whenever my mom wanted to get up early and drive the fifteen minutes into town) and I went to youth group, sunday school, church fund raisers, you name it, I did it. And then my mom got sick with cancer and... Well... I remember we were at the hospital for her last month (it was spent in the ICU, dude, that sucked) and the preacher took me and my step sister aside and told us "God is taking your mother because he wants her goodness in heaven."

That pretty much just made me go into pre-teen rebellion mode and its all down hill from there. Or uphill, I dunno.

And also... I had a lot of fun at the church things... I have to admit that the community aspect of it was nice. I lived out in the middle of nowhere so we never really saw any of them outside of church but... It was nice to have those people there to play with after sleeping through an hour long sermon. Yeah... I very rarely ever was awake for a sermon.

Oh, and also, my mom got a "lucky" hockey stick from one of the Avalanche players, one of the really popular guys... can't remember his name, (I live in CO) when she was put in the ICU because she was his sons favorite teacher. Dude, how cool is that? I don't remember if we got to keep it or not... If so, my step dad (that lying ******** scum bag) took it. It was a real hockey stick, it was signed by the players of the team and had very obviously seen a few games, what with the ratty tape and helmet paint on it. Yeah, thats right. My mom was a pimpstress. Or just a very memorable and good first grade teacher...

And my mother was probably one of the more liberal people I've ever met, my step mom not included (shes really liberal as well) and so homosexuality was never a big deal for me. I remember she told me a story once of her sitting with her gay friend at a horse show, sitting under the bleachers and checking the horse riders asses out. Yeah... She did that alot, to make me unbiased. Such as my adoption, she always told me that I was adopted, that my mother hadn't really wanted me. And it made me very lax in that kind of thing. I see people who go "YOU'RE ADOPTED!" and they shy away, as if I have a disease or something. I always say, "Well, yah. Whats the big deal?" And no one to date has given me a good answer...

I miss my mommy... cry  

[Theophrastus]

I'm sure she was awesome. I'm glad she was there for you as she could be - it sounds like she helped make a great kid out of you.

I wasn't raised by my parents, either.

I was told that, one time when I was about 5 years old and getting ready to leave for daycare, one of the children asked me why I didn't have a mommy or a daddy? They even further asked, "Is it because they don't want you?"

And I'm told my response was, "I have all the love I need."

That kicks a**. I wish I was still that cool. XD

Also, when I was 8, I sported a fauxhawk. In Texas. In a Bible school. If it wasn't for that whole not knowing anything about the world part, I'd happily be a kid again. biggrin  

[Banana01]

My mom didn't take me to church and all that but I used to beleive in god by default, then one of my friends said he was atheist, so I qestioned everything, then I decided I don't beleive in him. xp  

[ProjectOmicron88]

My mom and dad were both raised Christian, but both sort of found too much wrong with it to continue with it, as far as I know. I never really talked to them a whole lot about it, but that's the general idea I percieve. A lot of my opinions on religion come from them. I'm positive that if I had been raised Christian, though, I would still think the same way I do now.  

[Meirelle]

My parents really didn't influence anything. I mean, I was raised Roman Catholic, and part of me will always be that because it's so ingrained into family tradition and stuff. But no. What drove me to atheism was when I met all the crazy fundies in college. Yeah. >_>

I have since told my parents, and they're cool with it. I was agnostic for a while, and I recently crossed over to atheism. I think they were prepared, though, 'cause I've been open about my beliefs.

When I told my mom, I was, like, all solemn and stuff. I was like, "Mom, I have something important to tell you."

And she was like, "OMG you're not pregnant, are you?"

"OMFG no, Mom! I'm an atheist!"

"Oh... is that all?"

So it was no big deal to them. As long as I'm happy, I guess. mrgreen  

[Theophrastus]

Hahah. That's an awesome story. XD  

[=X-Sparker + AquaKiller=]

Very good insights here. And pickleboy, I'm sorry about your mother. I think you really should try getting that hockey stick back, because it is for your mother after all and nobody but people with her blood running under their skin have the right to own it.  

[hachimitsugirl]

I'd say that my parents had no influence over my lack of superstition. Their disinterest in education isn't keeping me from my master's degree and their backwoods notion of a divine spirit isn't keeping me from being rational.

It does, however, make me feel as if I'm missing out on something when I realize I've absolutely no intellectual respect for my parents. I envy those that do.