I really don't know how to put this because I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for but..
Basically I'm 17 years old, atheist, born from atheist parents, and I've never been to church, but I'm interested in religion and would like to learn more about it.

So basically, where do I start? Should I first find my faith in god? Or read a particular book(s)? etc.

Thanks in advance

when you go to school, you start with all courses at once

This post was edited by the_rest on Jan 6 2014 04:42am

...find a local Christian church and begin attending services there . Introduce yourself to the pastor and explain your situation to him .

the bible

Pretty much this. If you're interested in a book, I recommend reading The Case for Christ. It was written by an atheist who converted to Christianity and his journey in getting there.

I would just walk into local churches. If you were serious about it i would just kinda google the types of chruch around your area to see if any are of interest to you. You will meet some friendly people and just keep an open mind and you can always hold your own reservations (bits and pieces) of each. which is fine! good luck and God Bless

Grab yourself a Bible. NIV is probably the most common and easy to read.

Bible App: YouVersion Bible. Has a "read the bible in a year" set up

Start reading the bible at "the gospels" which is at the start of the new testament; Mathew Mark Luke and John.
Read all 4. Before or during, check any available source just for a quick preface and brief history of what you are about to read.

Pastors/Sermons to check out that are WIDELY available (pod cast apps, youtube, anywhere man...anywhere)
-Francis Chan
-Andy Stanley
^ GREAT sermons for any level. They often speak to non-believers specifically with their messages.

And for more "in depth" advanced level material- John Piper/Tim Keller. These messages are geared towards believers.

For graduate level theology (so you are atheist and wondering if this is real. Well- see for yourself with theology: the study of historical happenings in the religious realm. ) Theology is not meant to be bias. It is meant to search all known sources for evidence and counter evidence of anything we consider to be "religious"


Starting Point: Chrisitians specifically, not Catholics or Presbyterians etc etc, but Chrisitians, believe that it is the RELATIONSHIP that you have with Jesus Christ. It is not remotely about "Religion".
I believe that this is backed by the bible. The bible speaks to human traditions being worth nothing but let it be known that you will not enter the kingdom of God unless it is through Jesus Christ.

What does this mean?
This means that you confess with your heart and mouth that you believe Jesus Christ was sent by God (or an extension of God in Human form simply) to die for our sins. This means that you believe His actions on the cross were to take the burden of sin from all mankind who are innately sinners and conquer death for human salvation.

Whoa, that is a lot to swallow for a non-believer. That is asking you to believe a lot of things that probably sound foreign and crazy.
I just meant for that to be a "101" if you will.

Seek it for yourself! The internet is a powerful tool. The evidence is there waiting for you.
If you are looking for evidence of truth, examine prophecies that have and are yet to be fulfilled from the bible. A simple google search will get you there.
Beware of inaccurate information from both sides- believer and non-believer. This is why reading the bible by yourself is so important.

Have fun with it! Seek!
Starting Point:

Compelling Evidence for God and the Bible by Douglas Jacoby is a great book.
It will at least give you a good counter view from your own.

The Story tells the bible as a chapter by chapter story. Easier to get into and doesn't feel like youre reading a list or anything

Bless you