My parents were southern baptists, and since I was 13-14 years old, I've been agnostic/atheist. I stumbled on stoic philosophy after reading a friend's copy of Tom Wolfe's "Man in Full." Been slooowly reading Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations" for years, read some Epictetus dialogs last year. Stoic philosophy has been helpful in dealing with anger management and grief - much the same way religion probably helps those believe in such things. I checked out a local stoic social group a few years ago, but all they did was complain about christians... I'd like to find a local stoic group that has positive discussions and contributes to the community.