I am pondering how to exemplify my statement regarding a personal journey to truth and lack of faith!

I think that the story I told here a while ago has to probably get a second hearing. Certainly I have absolutely never even as a child, felt the need to believe in god, or had any tortured path to lack of faith. I had a happy childhood which allowed me to explore god, religion and faith, not from within my family (faith there was conventional and tepid) but in a non-frightening academic setting as well. I understood most people enjoyed some form of religious experience, and I loved the ceremony and music of the church (Anglican) but missed out on the emotional side of it all.

I stopped attending church and didn't miss it. Then I had my first child and lots went wrong. Both of us were close to death, we both survived, and, as I have stated before, I realised that at no time did I feel the need to pray or bargain with god, or wonder what would happen to either, or both of us, if we died. Because this surprised me I had a bit of a think about it and I realised I had not prayed or wondered because I did not believe in the power of prayer, god or the afterlife. So I guessed I was an atheist... but I have an issue with this label as the Rev and others like him, insist that I believe in Atheism. I don't. I have no knowledge of and am disinterested in the existence of a divine being /thing /whatever. Atheism is not a belief, to an atheist the absense of god is a statement of fact.

That was my very half hearted, undramatic journey to atheism. I do not necessarily think that others, having exactly my experiences would end at at the same place, though they might, and I do not ever try to convert people who believe in god. I couldn't anyway. People who are convinced that they have access to god are usually those from whom martrys are made and their faith is stronger than my possible persuasions. The thing is that I believe such strength does not always mean truth.

I am very much against the concept of win/win with regard to religion. A person's religious experience is part of their journey, and there can be NO wrong answer and no first prize.