I am a lifelong atheist. I attend a very progressive christian church where I am open about my lack of belief. They seem to accept me, including the minister. I don’t try to convert them and they don’t try to convert me. I started going because I was lonely and I wanted some opportunities to do good. Their whole theology is about helping people and trying to change the world for the better. The two major precepts are “God is love” and “Jesus has no hands but yours.” They don’t talk about sin or redemption. We have a huge rainbow sign that says “All are welcome,” and we actually mean it. The minister talks about Jesus as a teacher, not as a saviour. We raise money and food for the local food bank, and provide community outreach to people, many of whom have disabilities. We sing. We eat cookies and drink absurd amounts of coffee. I suddenly have so many sweet old lady friends, and even a handful of friends my own age.

Orthodox Christian. America is a confusing place for me too.

Atheist/materialism, if you can consider that a religion.

I was raised Catholic but was never a believer. I’m atheist.

Science

Swede here, so while I was born, babtized and confirmed in the lutheran church, I, like most Swedes, am in reality an atheist.

I am still part of the Swedish church and do pay church tax, I like seeing the old churches preserved in the Swedish landscape, and occasionally use their free toilets when I need to, so it feels only fair to contribute when I can.

Born and raised Catholic, drifted towards atheism as I thought that if the tenets of the religion I was brought up in is true, I should be punished for eternity (and then pondered if suicide is a lighter sin than being who I am), and then questioned why that’s necessarily the case.

Later on, I drifted towards agnosticism as I began to question my own beliefs, and more importantly, why I was having those beliefs.

None of that was ever known to a lot of people, though, and I present myself as a non-practicing Catholic.

Raised Scandinavian protestant which basically means you don’t go to church unless someone died or got married.

Left the Church to avoid the membership fee.

Answering this question is about 1/3rd of my effort I’ve put into religion 2024.

Non-participating Baha’i

I’ve been athiest since I was a kid. The older I get the less I’m able to ignore religion, and the more anti-thiest I become.

I was raised as a strict Catholic, then stopped believing once I went to college and met people who challenged my worldview. Now I am agnostic. Not sure I want to call myself a definitive atheist, as I believe there COULD be something out there. However, if there is something out there, I don’t think it cares enough about this tiny blue dot in the entire universe.

I’m a closet atheist. In my country, apostasy is punishable by death. Thus, me being closeted.

Ex- orthodox brighamite Mormonism

Now atheist. 37yo, ~8years atheist

I’m an ordained dudeist priest.

None