Don't try and analyze me in particular because you don't know the history there, but in general what are the reasons for people to go from believer to non-believer?
2006-09-12 07:10:32 · 63 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
god is a scientific concept, its a god of the gaps, it always has been, rich men 6000 years ago in the middle east exploited this when the population density got high and they could tax the poor and they got priests in on the deal
when we learn the history of all religions we see they are all man made to keep working people down and taxed and keep the tribute for the aristrocacy and priest class
2006-09-12 07:14:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 2⤋
Being hurt by a church.
Disapointment in a pastor, leadership, or a denomination.
Having a prayer not answered the way you expected.
Witnessed any of the above happening to someone dear to you, when your own faith is waffling.
Physical, emotional, or spiritual abuse by the church one is affiliated with.
Outright disagreements with the teachings.
Learning that the head of your church or ministry is deep in sin.
Exposure to an educational system that otherwise denies God and promotes unBiblical foundations for the world, relationships, and your part in them.
The list goes on...
Bascially, any role that the church fills in your life can bring about disappointment and hurt.
I list all of these things because they all happened to me. But instead of losing my faith, I found that my eyes had been drawn to man rather than to God, and hence, I was vulnerable.
When I looked back towards God, I found my faith again, and it was renewed.
Whatever things have caused you to turned to atheism, you surely have your reasons. I guess I Just wonder why you are aksing the question in the first place.
I hope you find the truth that you seek.
2006-09-12 07:27:51 · answer #2 · answered by Bob L 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i went through that..
our rationale and ability to reason stand in the way of our taught beliefs, at one point we all question our faith, but what you digest (reading and teachings) afterwards is what will produce our final belief.
religion is NOT to be taken literally, they are allegories and parables written centuries ago to lead the people of that era out of the darkness of ignorance and some christians don't understand that. and when they take a hard line it turns some people (usually intellects) off.
another possiblity is that with other religions in the world, why not look into them? i did and found that their underlying absolute is the same, regardless of the faith.
sometimes, we are just plain ol' mavericks and choose to think for ourselves and not follow blindly.
keep this in mind that should you decide to return to the flock you will have made a life changing decision and therefore, get more out of it this time around.
i did and although i am not a religious zealot, i really enjoy my faith more now than before.
a belief in GOD adds sunshine to a day otherwise clouded by the mudane. (me)
2006-09-12 07:36:29 · answer #3 · answered by cliffy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In my case it was sitting down to the computer one day and typing in Bible Origins on Google. Boy did I get a screen full and have not stopped doing research on the religious subject. I do not believe in the Bible being inspired of any God and I do not believe that Jesus was a God of any kind, maybe just a man doing good things. I do believe that somehow something with such a power that we can not even imagine started all this into being. What it was I don't know but when I die I'm hoping I will get to find out. But I don't believe in the God of the Bible looking down and watching each and everyone of us on a daily basis.
My situation as to being a Christian before was the church we were in did something to us that was unforgivable in my eyes and I no longer believe a person has to go to a particular church building to be "one" with the Creator.
I hope you have that peace of mind also that yes you are one with the Creator even tho you don't do the religious thing any longer.
2006-09-12 07:16:23 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
You know everything - so why keep asking the questions? You might be showing off that keen, mental dexterity, or trying to evangelize others to your side - which you hate when others do the same. Or you're still trying to find something... oh sorry for the analysis.
You became an atheist because you are so much smarter than all the rest of us...
2006-09-12 09:16:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I too was once a believer, 100% convinced of the truth of the book, though I took a symbolic view of it in some places. I did everything in my power to witness to the glory of God, and to teach his word everywhere. At my highschool, I got a reputation for being better able to quote the Bible, any version, than most of the protestants -- including verses before and after, so that I was dealing with the whole context.
But then I just started to drift away. Even accepting some of the stories as symbolically true, too much of the Bible had to be reduced to symbolism in order for it to make sense. And some places, the only way to interpret it was as the words of men, not the words of god. Add to that the constant prejudice in the Christian faith against those of us who are homosexual, and the patronizing attitude of, "love the sinner, hate the sin," and none of it added up.
I've always felt that if a belief serves you, hold to it. If it doesn't speak to you, follow your heart to the truth as best you can. For me, the truth, as I view it, through the lens of reason, is atheism, at least in the form of applying occam's razor to agnosticism. But my current faith in atheism in no way detracts from the fact that, AT THE TIME I was a Christian, my faith was complete and absolute, I was convicted of the truth and confessed it with all my heart, mind, body, and that feeling I used to call a soul.
2006-09-12 07:20:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
I think there may be a few reasons:
You may not be fully sure God exists or that after your life to this point you can forgive and accept yourself much less have a ongoing personal relationship with God through Jesus.
You may not be at a point where you feel you're fully ready to dedicate yourself to distance yourself from this world and it's "pleasures".
You may be unable to see and accept where you are right now in your life so God seems complicated and distant, not lovable and personal.
There could be many reasons but please, I do pray now, sometime before you do one day die give Him a chance.
Don't do like another atheist did so long ago - Madelyn Murray O'Hare (who pushed The Pledge of Allegiance out of public schools over 40 years ago) suffered so much avoidable pain and a very violent cruel death.
Look it up yourself - whether you choose to believe or not (and I pray you will one day when you're sure) May you find peace!
BTW God doesn't ask for you to believe blindly, you can ask Him questions. He will lovingly answer, I know.
I've traveled down your road before.
Go In Peace, My Child!
2006-09-12 07:31:36 · answer #7 · answered by John F 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I'm sure you have a reason for changing your mind, but I just don't understand how you can believe and then do a complete 180 and not believe.Unfortunately, I think that some people run into the Christians who try to shove their beliefs down your throat and that turns people off. Prayers are answered but not always in the time frame we think they should be answered. I hope that one day you will find your way back.
2006-09-12 07:19:20 · answer #8 · answered by vanhammer 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
For me, it was a matter of looking at how so many people believe so many different things, and realizing that it was highly unlikely that a God could just arbitrarily choose one belief system as the one true belief system. It just doesn't seem rational. But that's just me. I'd also add that most religions seem to be possessed of a sense of self-righteousness and outright hatred for people who don't subscribe to their particular belief system, and that seems pretty much out of line for a practice that, in theory, should bring peace to one's mind and to one's life.
2006-09-12 07:18:13 · answer #9 · answered by Tommy 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It was solely about rationalizing what I read. (In my case) I had read the bible, been saved, baptized, went to bible study for years, was a member of AWANA as a kid, etc.
But I wasn't content to simply "not know" things, that the church didn't necessarily like. I studied history, mythology, other religions, etc. And the answers became perfectly clear. My faith was based on lies and misconceptions, as is the entire Christian church today.
I begged god not to let my faith slip away... but there was no fighting it. You can't argue with sanity, unless you choose to become insane. (I couldn't do that, maybe someone else could)
Atheism is the result of knowledge, nothing more.
2006-09-12 07:21:04 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
it happens all the time, you are not unique!
although some atheists also became theists...
so it goes both ways.
it just depends on your circumstances...
and were you ever a thiest, deist, or any eist in the first place?
if you were a Christian at one time (or whatever believer in anything) was it because of your own personal choice & did you get to that because you were really solved on it? if you weren't that's the answer.
you have to really understand or study what you want to believe in, to know that you were indeed that type of believer...
2006-09-12 07:19:12 · answer #11 · answered by 4x4 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋