hi, um, i have a question about this... so im 14, okay and i dont belive in god, or any religon because it all seems too far-fetched and made up to me, but i dont like worship the devil or anything like that either. but im not sure if im athiest or agnostic, or wut. i just plain and simple choose to not have a religon and life like so. so can someone help me understand more about this please?

I'm happy to help, if I can.

At 14, you've still got a lot of time to think about the big questions in life. There's nothing wrong with needing more time to gather information and form an opinion.

By my way of thinking, if you feel that religion is "far fetched" and don't believe in god, then you are an atheist. An atheist doesn't have to say "there is no god" (which is a tough statement to prove). Instead, an atheist can be someone who says "I am not convinced there is a god." So, if you don't see any reason to believe in a god, then you can call yourself an atheist.

Now, if you are uncomfortable calling yourself an atheist, you don't have to. There's nothing wrong with just telling people that you aren't religious if they ask what religion you are.

I would also like to point out that being an atheist doesn't mean rejecting everything that has to do with religion. For example, if your family has religion-based celebratory traditions you don't have to give them up just because you disagree with their religious roots, just so long as you aren't doing anything hypocritical. For example, I was raised Catholic, but as an atheist I still celebrate Christmas because I enjoy it, but I don't have a crèche and I don't go to church. I will also attend Catholic memorial services when requested out of respect for my friends and family, but I don't take communion.

Out of all of this, I'd say the most important thing is that you should try to live a good, moral life. Don't worry too much about what labels might apply to you.