I am curious to know why unbelievers came to that decision especially in a very religious society like Nigeria. I'd love to read different experiences.

Rules for this thread are:

* That we respectfully make our post with the hope of seeing things from different perspectives.

* Be honest, whatever side you are on.

.

It was out of respect for religious folks that this thread was created on Saturday and not Friday or Sunday.

So, When/Why/How did you become an atheist/agnostic/unbeliever?


Please share.

...

Come on now, if you go babalawo and E no work, U no go comot for there?

I'm a Traveller........

Free man.......
I can't be caged by a drunkard who would rather see my race suffer than help .

The day I started applying logic to everything.
Something that religion is devoid of.

Coming on 2years since I deconverted. I brought myself to consider the reality of the world and how it matched with my beliefs. I realised that if you look from outside faith, they did not match and once you considered the possibility that a god did not exist, everything immediately makes sense. There was no need to beat around the bush anymore.

graciousolo:
I am curious to know why unbelievers came to that decision especially in a very religious society like Nigeria. I'd love to read different experiences.

Rules for this thread are:

* That we respectfully make our post with the hope of seeing things from different perspectives.

* Be honest, whatever side you are on.

.

It was out of respect for religious folks that this thread was created on Saturday and not Friday or Sunday.

So, When/Why/How did you become an atheist/agnostic/unbeliever?


Please share.

There is a great little Zen Story that describes the situation perfectly. The wise old king knew that his son the prince would soon be king. But the king knew his son was not ready. The king came up with a plan. That night at dinner the king banished the young prince from the kingdom and sent him to the east for a period of one year.

The price left for the East the following morning. While in the East he learned that the people were ruled by an evil wizard. An evil man who told them how to think and what to believe. When he protested. the people covered the young prince in tar and feathers and chased him from the cities.

When the year was up, he returned home to his father. the king. He described his journey and how crazy the people were. The king looked at his son and realized he was not yet ready to be king. He banished him again and sent him off to the West.

The adventure continues to the North, the son returns to the king to tell him about the Evil Wizard controlling the masses. He describes his hardships and what happens when he tries to convince people that they are wrong.

Finally the son returns from his trip to the South. The King and his son are sitting at the dinner table and the King inquires, "What did you learn on your latest trip." The young prince looked at his father and responded. "You are an evil Wizard." The king smiled. His son was now ready to be king.

Sabr1na:

There is a great little Zen Story that describes the situation perfectly. The wise old king knew that his son the prince would soon be king. But the king knew his son was not ready. The king came up with a plan. That night at dinner the king banished the young prince from the kingdom and sent him to the east for a period of one year.

The price left for the East the following morning. While in the East he learned that the people were ruled by an evil wizard. An evil man who told them how to think and what to believe. When he protested. the people covered the young prince in tar and feathers and chased him from the cities.

When the year was up, he returned home to his father. the king. He described his journey and how crazy the people were. The king looked at his son and realized he was not yet ready to be king. He banished him again and sent him off to the West.

The adventure continues to the North, the son returns to the king to tell him about the Evil Wizard controlling the masses. He describes his hardships and what happens when he tries to convince people that they are wrong.

Finally the son returns from his trip to the South. The King and his son are sitting at the dinner table and the King inquires, "What did you learn on your latest trip." The young prince looked at his father and responded. "You are an evil Wizard." The king smiled. His son was now ready to be king.

Lol. Amazing!

I once thought I was a rational theist cos I based my belief on the divinity of the Qur'an.

I later realised that

1. That scientific miracles of the Qur'an is based on Qur'an modern re-interpretation. Traditional interpretation shows that Qur'an is flawed in it scientific claims

2. That mathematical miracle of the Qur'an is flawed because there are many qiraat (dialects). So the mathematical miracle only apply to the popular Qur'an. Also, there are verses that wasn't in today's popular Qur'an.

Immediately I realised Qur'an may not be infallible, things started falling apart . I started seeing more errors in the Qur'an and hadith.

I had thought God was perfect and Qur'an was extremely perfect. I could not continue to follow a book that's not perfect, a book that require human explanation and re-interpretation before it would make sense.

When I started thinking critically about the fairytale in the bible, it dawned on me that they were all balderdash.

Like how am I supposed to worship a god that receives thanksgiving from some people after surviving a mishap in which others perished

kingxsamz:
The day I started applying logic to everything.
Something that religion is devoid of.

How was this possible?

I used to think Christianity was an infallible religion that contained the absolute truth about everything ever possible.

But as I grew older I started seeing contrary opinions and things that just didn't match with what I was taught as a kid.

Then I began asking questions, it was really hard for me to start researching these things because I thought the devil was leading me on and I was heading to eternal Doom.

But I guess the inquisitive nature I have wouldn't let me stay off since they didn't agree with the bible or teachings of the church and they kept showing up. I finally brought myself to think that if god really existed and was good HE would want me to know these things.

If God really was true and good I will still be able to view contradicting evidence and still be able to believe in him. In fact, maybe viewing all the contrary opinions would strengthen my faith.

So I started reading stories, blogs, a notable one was that of hard mirror on nairaland. It was a major point of my deconversion but I still continued going to church and actually became more devoted in church because I thought my faith was failing and I needed to do more for the Lord to keep me.

This continued until I left the university then I joined a Religion discussion group on Facebook and that's where the indoctrination was washed off. It still took some time to finally rise above all that fear of hell of sin against the holy spirit and all that stuff.

But I'm glad I left religion after 20 years. And I'm well on my path to agnosticism.. atheism whatever you call it for at least 2 years now.

Jman06:
When I started thinking critically about the fairytale in the bible, it dawned on me that they were all balderdash.

Like how am I supposed to worship a god that receives thanksgiving from some people after surviving a mishap in which others perished

What made you to start thinking?

triplechoice:


How was this possible?

How was what possible?

kingxsamz:


How was what possible?

You said something without explaining what led to it.

Is it possible for a religious person to suddenly start applying logic to everything without any reason for it?

triplechoice:


You said something without explaining what lead to it.

Is it possible for a religious person to suddenly start applying logic to everything without any reason for it?

Everyone has the ability to reason. When you grow older, you begin to ask certain questions, and when you aren't getting any reasonable answer to those questions, the whole thing begins to unravel.
What do you do when you realize you've been told a lie all your life?

triplechoice:


What made you to start thinking?

When I became an adult, I just started thinking independently and stopped conforming to what everybody else believed in. I then began to question some of the stories in the bible.

I began to ask questions like:

What supposedly LOVING father would watch his BELOVED children roast in a lake of fire for disobedience despite knowing from creation what would eventually become their fates

kingxsamz:

Everyone has the ability to reason. When you grow older, you begin to ask certain questions, and when you aren't getting any reasonable answer to those questions, the whole thing begins to unravel.
What do you do when you realize you've been told a lie all your life?

What made you or how did you realize you have been fed with lies all along?
I don't intend to drag this further with you.I would respond to the op later with my own experience..

I believe the purpose of this thread is for non religious persons to share their deconvertion stories to enable others understand the actual reason or reasons they left.

I believe this would clear certain misconceptions some religious persons hold against those who have abandoned their Faith.

You know when someone is in the dark about something, the usual tendency is to come up with all sorts of illogical speculations to explain what they really don't understand.

For instance,a religious person would say the reason you started to question your belief was because you were possessed by the devil and quote a Bible verse to support this.

So tell us what led to you questioning your Faith.

Bacteriologist has already done that and I enjoyed reading his story.

I already promised mine but at the moment I have a seminar to attend in less than an hour's time .Will be back later with it

graciousolo:
I am curious to know why unbelievers came to that decision especially in a very religious society like Nigeria. I'd love to read different experiences.
Rules for this thread are:
* That we respectfully make our post with the hope of seeing things from different perspectives.
* Be honest, whatever side you are on.

It was out of respect for religious folks that this thread was created on Saturday and not Friday or Sunday.
So, When/Why/How did you become an atheist/agnostic/unbeliever?
Please share.

Not every person who grew up in Nigeria is easily manipulated by the tripe that passes as a religion in Nigeria. Growing up in Nigeria I had questions and desired meaningful answers that many of the various religions were not able to answer for me. At one point, I believed I was the problem since I was the only one who wasn't gullible enough to swallow up the same vomit that I saw those around me easily lick up without as much as a question out of them. I was marked by some a contrarian... an I-T-K e.t.c Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get myself to swallow that religious vomit... it just wouldn't go down.

Many years later, I am glad my head and belly refused to lick that vomit, no matter how sad, miserable, and alone living in Nigeria, surrounded by religious zombies was for me.

Kobojunkie:

Not every person who grew up in Nigeria is easily manipulated by the tripe that passes as a religion in Nigeria. Growing up in Nigeria I had questions and desired meaningful answers that many of the various religions were not able to answer for me. At one point, I believed I was the problem since I was the only one who wasn't gullible enough to swallow up the same vomit that I saw those around me easily lick up without as much as a question out of them. I was marked by some a contrarian... an I-T-K e.t.c Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get myself to swallow that religious vomit... it just wouldn't go down.

Many years later, I am glad my head and belly refused to lick that vomit, no matter how sad, miserable, and alone living in Nigeria, surrounded by religious zombies was for me.

Yeah... I get.

Sometimes it seems like there's not an option to not believe.

I'll list some reasons for leaving religion.
There are over 5000 religions in the world and saying yours especially the one you happen to born into is the right one with little or knowledge about the others makes no sense.

All religions are indigenous to a specific region and people and the only reason some have a lot of adherents are mostly due to trade or wars.

The supposed miracles in the Quran and bible don't make any sense, a talking donkey, a great flood that supposedly wiped out the majority of life on earth, a man who flew a Pegasus and ascended to heaven within the blink of a second.

All these stories are purely fictional and the irony here is that most Christians and Muslims will laugh at the African traditional stories.
The idea of God is racist, misogynistic and just cruel. God has been potrayed has having a massive ego that he needs the worship of mere mortals to feel good about himself.
If God is omniscient, then he shouldn't have angry with Adam in the first instance or guys like Jonah and the pharaoh after all he knew what was going to happen. I guess we shouldn't blame terrorists also after all God knows best.
The only reason people believe in God is because we haven't found the reason for our existence.

During the Middle Ages, the Greeks associated thunder and lightning with Zeus and the Yorubas associated thunder and lightning with Sango but now people have descredited those ideas due to the knowledge beyond lightning that science has revealed.
I'm not an atheist as I doubt the existence of a creator but I'm definitely done with religion

So here is my reasons or story for leaving and not wanting to associate with any religious group or movement ever again.

But before I do so, I would like to share a parallel story which exactly described how I felt when I got exposed to the real truth about the religious group I was part of then.

My colleague in the office where I am currently working told me an interesting story of what happened two years ago when she took two of her sons to attend a father Christmas show that was put together by the management of the school her children are currently attending.

On the day of the event, they left home early enough and arrived at the school before the time fixed for the show to start. And as she and sons waited for things to get going, one of the boys excused himself to make use of the toilet.

On his way to the toilet, which was some walk from the hall they have been waiting, the boy's attention was suddenly drawn to some activity going on in one of the classrooms block. So he looked through the window and was shocked, confused and surprised to see one of his classroom teachers putting on the father Christmas costume. Not wanting the teacher to see him, he quickly moved away and continued to the toilet. After he was done, he went to meet with his mum and his other sibling.

The mother said she immediately noticed her child's mood has dramatically changed and she tried to find out what was the problem.
And when she asked "what's problem with you "
The child angrily blurted out " I don't want to see father Christmas again"

" Why" the mother asked in confusion.
Still angry, the boy replied " I saw my teacher wearing the father Christmas clothes .He is not from Australia."
At this point ,she said she then fully understood her son"s disappointment.

Before now, in order to build excitement for the kids ,the school management has been announcing that father Christmas is coming from Australia and asking them to tell their parents to pay the required fee to enable them visit him in his grotto and collect exciting gifts.

The children believed this story and each day would remind their mum to pay so they could attend.

Now they are attending but before they could see him one of the boy's just discovered the truth, father Christmas is not from Australia but thier classroom teacher.
He no longer wants to see him and he is no more interested in collecting any gifts.
Nothing the mum said could make him change his mind .

And so, just like this child who suddenly stumbled on the truth about father Christmas and decided not to partake in the show anymore and also not to collect any gift, I had also decided long ago not to ever associate with any religious group or related due to what I discovered about them.
What did I discovered?
I will modify and come back to complete my own story

Dtruthspeaker:
Come on now, if you go babalawo and E no work, U no go comot for there?

The hypocrisy. You were blasting someone on another thread who wanted to dump the idea of God because his prayers weren't answered. Using your own argument, didn't it occur to you that a babalawo's charm isn't a genie that grant's all your requests? How dare you question the charm?

graciousolo:


Yeah... I get.

Sometimes it seems like there's not an option to not believe.

Nobody should believe in any of that nonsense

Dtruthspeaker:
Come on now, if you go babalawo and E no work, U no go comot for there?

But if a person says "if you go to the Christian god and pray and no change, u no go comot from there?" I am sure you will not accept this. You will say God is not a magician or a genie to grant all our wants, and that his ways are better than ours.

Martinez39s:
But if a person says "if you go to the Christian god and pray and no change, u no go comot from there?" I am sure you will not accept this. You will say God is not a magician or a genie to grant all our wants, and that his ways are better than ours.

I just saw you responded earlier and I do not know how I did not see it before today

Anyway, I still stand by and with and on my statement that

"If you go babalawo and E no work, U no go comot for there?"

However, my Answer here changes BECAUSE, if babalawo has power, it is because it is or was GIVEN TO HIM! like Distribution Companies (Discos)

Power does not belong to him and he will not have power, if it is not supplied and like Discos, if Power is not Supplied, they will not be able to give Power.

But this is not So with God, Creator of All creations and The God of Abraham! He is The Repository, Depository, Refinery, Shipper and Depot of POWER!

And He is The Sole Owner, Producer and Supplier of Power like NEPA in the 1980s.

So, thus, you either have to follow His Procedure to get His Goods and Power, or you shall have to go and buy the "goods" from "Black Market" (which you already know that it is not a good place to go) or you starve!

But the choice is Always yours to choose and make.

Thus, I counsel and advice that you Follow Procedure and Established Due Process As given by The Sole Proprietor of Power.

The True and Original Power Holding and Giving Authority!

Dtruthspeaker:


I just saw you responded earlier and I do not know how I did not see it before today

Anyway, I still stand by and with and on my statement that

"If you go babalawo and E no work, U no go comot for there?"

However, my Answer here changes BECAUSE, if babalawo has power, it is because it is or was GIVEN TO HIM! like Distribution Companies (Discos)

Power does not belong to him and he will not have power, if it is not supplied and like Discos, if Power is not Supplied, they will not be able to give Power.

But this is not So with God, Creator of All creations and The God of Abraham! He is The Repository, Depository, Refinery, Shipper and Depot of POWER!

And He is The Sole Owner, Producer and Supplier of Power like NEPA in the 1980s.

So, thus, you either have to follow His Procedure to get His Goods and Power, or you shall have to go and buy the "goods" from "Black Market" (which you already know that it is not a good place to go) or you starve!

But the choice is Always yours to choose and make.

Thus, I counsel and advice that you Follow Procedure and Established Due Process As given by The Sole Proprietor of Power.

The True and Original Power Holding and Giving Authority!

Yeah so like NEPA your god always has power failure issues. Can't cure childhood cancer, can't cure congenital birth defects, can't heal amputees. Instead he requires apologists like you to come and make excuses.

LordReed:


Yeah so like NEPA your god always has power failure issues. Can't cure childhood cancer, can't cure congenital birth defects, can't heal amputees. Instead he requires apologists like you to come and make excuses.

Naah!

Not can't but Won't! (Almost Won't anyway but about 99.5% Won't).

Why?

Because, He Does Not Do Wastes and Nullities!

For Every Child Born to man IS DEAD ALREADY, requiring Life, it's Cure, which each and every individual must Choose to take for themselves or refuse same, like a Vaccine!

Thus, it is wasteful and annoying to administer drugs to a dead horse man!

Or to heal a dead man only for the man to still die again. Make e kukuma Die d Die wey e bin wan Die before, Simple!

Dtruthspeaker:


Naah!

Not can't but Won't! (Almost Won't anyway but about 99.5% Won't).

Why?

Because, He Does Not Do Wastes and Nullities!

For Every Child Born to man IS DEAD ALREADY, requiring Life, it's Cure, which each and every individual must Choose to take for themselves or refuse same, like a Vaccine!

Thus, it is wasteful and annoying to administer drugs to a dead horse man!

Or to heal a dead man only for the man to still die again. Make e kukuma Die d Die wey e bin wan Die before, Simple!

Yet he allows the dead horses to keep reproducing. What a wonderful god.

LordReed:


Yet he allows the dead horses to keep reproducing. What a wonderful god.

Yes, So that Each Generation of horses would have had an opportunity to have Chosen to Live and not Die.

Separate and Distinct from their Parents who have made and entered their own Choice to Die, from generation to generation!

If they want!

Dtruthspeaker:


Yes, So that Each Generation of horses would have had an opportunity to have Chosen to Live and not Die.

Separate and Distinct from their Parents who have made and entered their own Choice to Die, from generation to generation!

If they want!

If they are already dead how can they choose to live? LoL