Hi Brad.  Welcome to the forum.  I have mental health issues ( severe depression and anxiety ) which first drove me toward a God-belief at the age of 15.  I suffered intense pain all the while waiting for "God" to show me some compassion.   Needless to say it never came. 

In my early forties I stumbled across some atheist / skeptic websites which refuted many of my theistic beliefs.  The cracks in my faith began to widen.  

The intellectual arguments I encountered combined with a god who refused to show up were the final blow to my weakened faith until I finally ( with much fear ) released my hold upon a useless idea....  now I'm an atheist.   

( and I'm still totally fucked up )

Hi Brad....welcome!

hi bradley, welcome to the RRS. I have some health problems but I got them after becoming an atheist. I contracted type 2 diabetes when I was 16 (damn genes) and cataracts and nerve damage in my feet in my late 17th year, roughly 2 years after the diabetes. unfortunately, I found out about the cataracts before the diabetes, as my doctor was making me get quite a few blood tests trying to find out what was damaging my eyes, the diabetes test showed a blood sugar level of around 20 after fasting for over 12 hours (regular levels are between 4 to 8 ). after getting stuck in hospital for 4 days, I was told I need to inject insulin every time I eat cause my pancreas is more than half dead. since I was diagnosed, my cataracts have cleared somewhat and I have gained some feeling in my feet. one thing I remark to myself sometimes is that if I was still a christian, I would be attributing the recoveries of my eyes and feet to god answering my prayers (although I'm sure my mother thinks that her prayers had something to do with it even if she wont admit it). I find it amusing although frustrating that people will attribute the achievements of medical science to their gods, when it is obvious to damn near everyone that god had nothing to do with the cure. I'm not 20 and I'm waiting another year or year and a half before going for cataract surgery to make sure my eyes are fully developed to reduce chances of complications. still cataracts haven't stopped me from continuing to make art (the <DA> in my signature links to my deviantart profile)

this reminds me of one sunday a couple of months ago when I was walking through my lounge and my mother was watching hour of power or somesuch where there was a family talking to a church about how god helped one of their sisters. they said something like this: "our sister had been feeling really ill and we didn't know what to do about it. she went into hospital and we all prayed for a diagnosis and treatment and, now, thanks entirely to god, she is recovering from cancer". I thought this was just too much bullshit for such a little speech so I remarked that god had nothing to do with it and it was only the work of the doctors and modern medicine that treated and cured her, attributing it to anything else is idiocy, to which my mother replied something like 'no, god really did cure her'. I repeated that it was the doctors and only the doctors that cured her and if anything, god should be blamed for giving cancer to her in the first place and that if my mother trusts god so much then why does she still see the doctor?

Welcome to the forums, Bradley!  I'm perfectly healthy as far as I am aware.  I became an atheist because christianity is totally hosed.