well well full of opions now are you. Well first of you were correct to assume (at leas for myself) we are from religous backgrounds. Yes i was very religious, but no I didn't turn away because of big bad rules.Let me give you a quick run down. I was raise din the chruch and for the most part very strong in my fath. In fact I was a youth minister for a while. But one day I did a big no-no in the church I "thought"*GASP* well anyways I am all well and fine with the rule religion impose. But when god starts to condem them for their actions thats when I start to question. Plus I see no evidence WHAT-SO-EVER to support his creation. I don't blame god for his followers actions no that would not be right. I do blame him for turning his back on this planet, that is to assume he was there to start. I would blame him for creating evil and the devil why would he do such a thing, so in the end I choose not to belive, not because of the rules, no but because of his morals, which are iffy at best. I have had a great childhood not an easy one but one that I have learned a lot from, god for the most part, are for the weak minded, and vulnarable, but keep believing but do not sterotype us please. I am differnt than you and form the one who post below.

Religion is a huge part of today's society and since it has been seeping into government, it becomes a point of concern whether or not an individual is religious. Different people are atheist for different reasons; some because (like you mentioned) they feel it was "shoved down their throat" or that they disapprove of the "rules", or some even do it just to be rebellious. However, you cannot clump together the masses under your assumption. Some people, myself and many of us included, are interested in the truth; interested in logic. It has been found many times over that religions hold beliefs that can be [i]proven[/i] wrong. I, personally, find it rather irksome to believe in something that is proven time and time again to be false.
As for your assertion that we are "not free-thinking teens" because we have let people try to teach us in the past or have taken away from them a way of thinking, its inevitable that a person will take past life-experiences to shape their way of thinking. Free-thinking, defined, is thought unrestrained by deference to authority, tradition, or established belief, especially in matters of religion. Not necessarily a specific "way" of thinking. We are not under control of anyone's influence but our own. We [i]choose[/i] who influences us, and choice is a big part of being a freethinker.

I totally agree, I don't understand why anyone would rally against opression; look at what it got those black folks. They can sit anywhere on busses and in public resturants, and now they can vote! Nothing good ever comes from people speaking up against something they don't believe in.

Now, assuming you're not a totally inhumane person, you would agree that opression is a very noble thing to stand up against, and necessary to stand up against as well. We feel religion is opression. We accept that god is not real, and sure there are most likely some 'rebellious' atheists who consider themselves as such becasue of their upbringing, or just because they don't like their 'god's work. The majority of us however, truly feel that religion is a vice grip on your mind, and we stand against it as we stand for human kind and a sort of brotherhood if you will. We accept our mortality and finite nature, and we try to show this to others. We really wish that people like yourself could understand this and not have to resort to personal attacks, or even worse just general assumptions. Atheists raise valid questions against gods, never to have them answered and instead to be told we're childish and must have a vendetta against our creator. Well I don't have a vendetta against my parents, they are great people, but they are just that, people. Not gods. In fact, I have no gods. I'm just a human being and i act on neurological impulses. In fact, so do you. All you are is a mass of muscles and bones that runs off of electricity. Somehow we know this, and we feel because we know we exist (otherwise considered to be conscious, or self aware. Something some animals don't posess) some of us decide that something else must have created us. As much as I and many atheists respect the people who hold this belief, we don't respect the belief, as we feel it's ignorant. Now, I understand that many believers and non believers alike tell us that we're doing the same thing as believers, which is not helpful, I say we're not. We try to bring civil discourse up on the matter, and we're shot down by assinine assertions such as betting that "[a lot of atheists] have turned against religion because [they] feel it's overbearing or was shoved down your throat.]" I do think religion is overbearing, I will admit that. But I have never accepted anything given to me without proof or reason, and religion has neither, thus I don't accept it. I only ask you to do the same, and you don't. If you're not going to come to us with any proof of your god don't for one second think that your idiotic strawmen are going to make us believe in it, or change our ways. It's people like you that make our case for us.

not being hugged enough?

hahaha you have got to be kidding me... thats just stupid.

There are RATIONAL reasons for someone to be a free thinker.

And by they way I've come through many many difficult times in my life, with out God. You dont need to rely on something that we have no evidence of to get comfort and security.