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Part of it was seeing some positive things in others that were sharing their faith with me.
It was the behavior of the faithful that started my questioning of the faith. However, this could apply to any other faith as well. It doesn't really address the point that exposure to a Christian culture is the primary factor in your becoming a Christian.
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Another significant part was a feeling inside me that said I needed something greater than myself to make it through life.
Again, the same could apply to any other religion should you have been exposed to something other than christianity.
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Now, I can appreciate that you might be inclined attribute this to some sort of peer or external pressure as well, but considering what a long, twisted, and painful road was involved in getting to the point where I valued scripture more than the praise of my fellow Christian's, I don't think that to be a sound explanation.
I think the point is more subtle, though I hate to accuse Rh of subtly. Try not to think of peer pressure in the sense that is most common-- that of school kids hassling you to smoke, for example. Think of it more as exposure. Religion and faith is pretty deep in culture. You have to think of it more as you would think of the acquisition of language.
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Now, from the biblical perspective I hold, I think other faiths and belief systems (including atheism) are inspired by "the god of this age" as Jesus described Satan.
Ah, yes... the old devil-inspired-false-religion card. How do you know that your faith isn't one of these DIFRs? Other than answer with faith, which is a non-answer, how can you answer? How do you distinguish between faiths?
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The apostle Paul, who penned two thirds of the New Testament
Paul penned more of the NT than any other author, but two-thirds is not accurate. Looks more like one-third to me, but you are probably using the traditional attributions of authorship, rather than the scholarly attributions.
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Are there any Atheists making claims about Atheism that weren't introduced to the concept of Atheism by other Atheists?
It is much too late in the game for anyone to claim an absolute lack of influence, but coming unaided to a rather vague disbelief seems much easier than so coming to a very particular belief.
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I don't know that this is entirely true.
It is. You can find conversion experiences to and from most any religion, including those religions which encourage the building of spaceships out of old tires.
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