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The age limit for this board is 14. Please ask your parents these questions and come back in a year or so.

Blessings to you.

There will be many effects on your life.

Since you are 13 the first problem you will run into is your parents' acceptance, which is hardly likely.

Because so many religious people truly believe that we atheists are evil people without morals you are going to have to be strong, really strong.

Contact the American Atheists and ask to speak to someone who can help you get info for teens.

There are college groups of atheists but none younger-- unless the whole family is atheists. Try to contact a family group and ask to speak to other kids. You really need the support at your age.

You will get grief from family and friends -- it is something you need to keep to yourself until you are old enough to stand up to people.

It is a wonderful felling knowing you have gotten away from the myths and lies, the dogma and the rituals of religion. I felt it at about 9 years old but my family wasn't particularly religious so I wasn't forced to go to services. I've been an atheist for over 50 years altho I didn't know the word for a long time. I wish you much happiness and strength. Reach out for support but keep YOUR TRUTH to your self at least for a while. 13 is so young to be strong against adults. HUGS

That would depend on how religious your parents are. Some care a whole lot, some don't. At age 13, it would not make a huge difference on your life, but it could have effects during your adult life. You do not need to tell anyone you're an atheist unless they ask.

The only way primitive religion exists today is through the child abuse of forcing it into very, very young children but thanks to better education and growing intellects so many teens are able to discover the truth, throw off the indoctrination and step into the real world!

Acceptance of a supernatural claim tends to promote cooperative social relationships. This communication demonstrates a willingness to accept, without skepticism, the influence of the speaker in a way similar to a child's acceptance of the influence of a parent. By encouraging this kind of behavior where the most intense social relationships occur it facilitates the lack of skepticism and deters more open minded thinking.

They are christian, Muslim or the other religions depending where they were born simply because they were indoctrinated by their parents as very young children. They will go on to indoctrinate their own children and those will go on to indoctrinate their grandchildren!

Atheists have the intellect to see through the conditioning and escape into the real world!

Agnostics have the intellect to see through the conditioning but lack the courage to throw of the conditioning entirely.

Sadly Christians, muslims and others are still held firmly prisoner by the self perpetuating brainwashing!

There will always be religious haters, regardless of your religious affiliation, but as an Atheist I would rather be ridiculed for intelligence than for ignorance. If you have logic and reasoning skills, sooner or later you will be an Atheist whether you like it or not. Non-believers are the fastest growing segment of young Americans, so be proud of it. Plus, it gets easier as you age because then you care less what people think of you. Wouldn't you rather be on the right side of history and science? Besides, there are far more of us out there than you could possible realize.

For now, read as much as you can. At your age, try David Mills's "Atheist Universe" and then you can move on to Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Victor Stenger, Daniel Dennett or Sam Harris, whose "Letter to a Christian Nation" is short and straightforward. Best of wishes to you.

If you are thirteen, more than likely you will change your mind many times. I would suggest to go through life a bit more to decide on that. Meanwhile go get a cookie from the cookie jar and have a blast. At the end you will decided what to believe in.

I myself don't believe in any religion. I may think there is a God but no one knows really. If there was a God and he wanted to be worshiped, dang he would have made it clear and not allowed every civilization to speak on his behalf. Either he doesn't care or there are millions of God's out there. I don't believe in either.

Hey, that's great! Learning new things, having new ideas, all of it.

Don't even consider what other people will think of you. They're not worth your time if your belief affects their opinion of you! Just follow your heart and your mind.

here are some highly recommended (and good!) books you can check out if you want to read more about atheism or agnosticism. You don't have to read all of them, of course, but one's a good start.

-Rational Mysticism: Spirituality Meets Science in the Search for Enlightenment by John Horgan

-Varieties of Unbelief: From Epicurus to Sartre

-Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to ------;--Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson by Jennifer Michael Hecht

-Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography by J. D. Crossan

-Essential Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind

-The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

Also, anything by Joseph Campbell is interesting. Doesn't talk about atheism exactly, but explains the mythological sources of religion. My favorite author.

It would be a good way of learning who the 'bad' religious people and the 'good' religious people are. The bad ones will waffle on constantly about how you are doomed to Hell, the good ones won't.

Religious or not- Some people are nice and others are total a**holes.

If you don't believe in god...then you don't believe in god. How other people digest that is irrelevant. You can't make yourself believe something if you find it illogical. I've been atheist for 22 years, and have never had a problem with anyone, except when I come here.

You don't have to discuss your lack of belief with anyone.

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You'll find that no matter what you believe that there will always people who you put offside. What you have to decide is whether. something as far as you can fairly and objectively see it, is the right way of looking at things.

I think you're too young to make these kinds of decisions yet.

If I were you, I would just forget about this kind of thing until you're older. Don't be religious and don't be the opposite of religious, because if you choose something now, it could grow on you and prevent you from making fair decisions in the future.

It's just one of those "things" about the human mind.