I think it does have "mostly to do with parential or family influences", Patsy. Just as you surmised.

In my case, I started out life as an atheist. Why? Well, because my parents were, of course, and that was a viewpoint I was very familiar with and comfortable with at the age when you imagine that your parents know everything. ;-) Later on you find out that they don't!

When that grim and stunning realization hits at around the onset of puberty usually, you may still go on basically playing out the same set of beliefs your parents passed on to you...or you may rebel against some of those beliefs and reject them. I did carry on a good deal of what my parents bequeathed me, and I rejected a good deal of it, depending on various different factors...mainly I rejected what I felt was irrational or of no use to me.

One thing they bequeathed me was a subtle but nasty form of prejudice and amused contempt toward anyone who belonged to a religion. I became aware of that in my 20s, took a long look at it, and decided to dump that attitude. I still have a certain suspicion of churches and mainline religion, admittedly, but I don't leap to the kneejerk assumption that people with religious or spiritual beliefs must be ignorant or stupid, because I've met far too many who are anything but.

I became very interested in spirituality as it relates to:

- ethics
- self-awareness
- relating to others
- relating to society
- relating to a sense of one's own identity and purpose
- managing consciousness
- achieving self-discipline, compassion, fairness, love, etc.

I have little or no interest in:

- religious rules
- religious power structures
- religious authorities
- religious labelling
- religious ceremonies and rituals

It's the inner person that interests me, not the outer trappings, rituals, labels or credentials. And that's why I pursue spirituality on a personal basis, but I do not belong to a religion.

I regard atheism as a faithb-based doctrine of its own. It is, quite simply, the faith that something other people believe in does NOT exist! ....without any corroborative evidence one way or the other... The firm atheist, like the firm religious fundamentalist, thinks he already knows what is real and what isn't. He doesn't, though. He knows about enough to fill one teacup, and he's standing in front of an ocean.

As a wise man once said: "The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

People should admit how little they know! Most are absolutely unwilling to do that, but they'll tell you all day long how they KNOW there is "no God"...or else they KNOW that their favorite version of God is the ONLY true God out there.

I call that extreme vanity, in both cases.