Hello, everyone!
I'd been religious (Christian) my whole life, but was always plagued with the question, "How would I know this is the correct religion, if I'd grown up with a different cultural norm?" I concluded, after many years of passive reflection, that, no, I probably wouldn't have become Christian at all, given that there are so many good people who do not. From there, I discovered that I was severely biased toward Christianity, and in an attempt to overcome that bias, I became atheist before I realized it.
I know that last part is a common idiom that's usually hyperpole, but I really did become atheist well before I consciously knew I was. I remember reading HPMOR, looking up lesswrong.com, reading the post on "Belief in Belief", and realizing that I was doing exactly that: explaining an unsupported theory by patching the holes, instead of reevaluating and updating, given the evidence.
It's been more than religion, too, but that's the area where I really felt it first. Next projects are to apply the principles to my social and professional life.
Hey, I'm in Rochester, and, though it's hard to get to Buffalo, I'd really like to work on rationality skills with others. Do you have meetings in Buffalo often, and how should I stay in the loop about them?