I saw a question torward atheists and the majority of them seemed to come from a catholic background...?

Question

Here was the question :http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ag1hRMh47PJ0olU5Ruo312Lsy6IX?qid=20060811122753AAA3QZH

what is so different about the catholic religion than other christian religions that the majority of atheists that answered were from a catholic background?

you are right Carol, I wasn't raised Catholic and really don't know much about it....

Answer 1

i come from a catholic/christian background. i think the reason for this is that other reasons are so overthetop about religion that no one has the space to even breathe one breath of doubt, which is unfair. everyone should have the room to question their faith.

for me, it was just that i sort of grew out of it. i could watch animals and the trees and the sky outside and i just believe i was not different than any of it. its just the way nature and life process made everything. that higher beings were just created to make us less afraid of death, you know?

Answer 2

Never noticed that particular trend. I'm atheist but I was raised Methodist - which is actually, from what I can tell, one of the more "liberal" denominations out there. My guess is, if that question is any sort of accurate representation of atheist backgrounds, that the it's the simple "extremity" of Catholic beliefs that have perhaps accelerated people on their paths to atheism. True Catholics are pretty strict and serious about their religion from what I've seen. Atheists are typically skeptical people, and I suppose the more unfounded information thrown at them makes them more quickly start to doubt. Then again, actual statistics could show the exact opposite to be true - who knows! I'm sure there IS some sort of trend, but it's a matter of HOW the religion presents its information, not what that information is. I'd be interested to learn if there is a a major trend in which religions seem to "produce" the most atheists.

Of course, my hope is that there isn't a trend - that no matter how one was raised, most atheists become what they are because they have learned to think for themselves, despite what they're told when they're young! I hate to think of atheism as a "reaction" to one's surroundings, if that make sense. A hatred for religion should not be one's ultimate motivation for atheism - rather, I feel it should be one's personal move TOWARDS something else. Good luck with your curiousity!

Answer 3

That's really interesting actually, particularly since catholics are certainly not the largest denomination in the US.

I would guess it would have something to do with the Catholic church having a lot more ritual and adherences than other christian churches. Thus children born into it have much more that they are forced to obey and are therefore more likely to rebel against it...

JT: I counted 7/18 (still not a majority, but quite a high proportion).

Answer 4

You consider 3 out of 16 to be "most?"

3 said they were Catholic, 2 said they were half Catholic.

Your assertion doesn't seem to be supported by facts. One third is a minority, not a majority. Especially in light of the fact Catholics represent 50% of Christians.

I can't count, there do appear to be 2 more that make reference to attending Catholic school.

But, that's still not a majority.

Answer 5

I seem to notice that that is true that the most of of athist come from catholic and catholic is not a christian background like what a like a lot people believe but the bapist and the others are. This is why athist come from catholic cause catholic are not christian like southern bapist

Answer 6

Catholics tend to encourage thinking. Also, a lot of the Catholic dogma and ritual is particularly stupid, and is thus particularly vulnerable to thought. For other denominations, thinking is a no-no, and is discouraged.

"Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed. Faith must trample underfoot all reason, sense, and understanding, and whatever it sees must be put out of sight and ... know nothing but the word of God." ~ Martin Luther

"Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but -- more frequently than not -- struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God." ~ Martin Luther

"There is on earth among all dangers no more dangerous thing than a richly endowed and adroit reason... Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed." ~ Martin Luther

"Reason should be destroyed in all Christians." ~ Martin Luther

"A thorough reading and understanding of the Bible is the surest path to atheism” ~ Donald Morgan

Answer 7

7 out of the 18 responses said they had at least one Catholic parent or were raised Catholic. That's still less than half, and 18 isn't a statistically valid sample size.

Answer 8

It was a popular religion when that generation grew up. So most would come from that. I never was religious, but I know people who were, and not all were catholic.

Answer 9

I think Catholicism is more institutionalized so it is difficult to get spirit satisfaction. But many people are still Catholic and believe it to be spiritually uplifting.

Answer 10

You were obviously not raised Catholic. It is painful and it made me agnostic.