**Non Believers that were once Believers**?

Question

I'm just curious as to why / how you Non Believers gave up on your Beliefs in God.... Have you recieved critism from fellow ex Believers? How have you delt with it?

Answer 1

I stopped being a Christian my first year in college. There are a few different things that brought about the change in belief.

1. I realised that I was smarter than everyone who went to my church and I couldn't really relate to any of them. They were mostly rednecks. My friends, who were not Christians, are 2 of the smartest people I know. One was raised Christian and then left.

2. My faith first started to shake when I investigated evolution. I read several Jared Diamond books (Guns, Germs, and Steel; The Third Chimpanzee) and took 2 semesters of Biology. Evolution just explains too many things for it not to be true. So much about the world just fits into place if evolution is true.

Most of the Christian people I know are very dumb. In fact, most people in general are dumb. I've noticed that people who take a stand and deny religion, or who are agnostic, are generally more intelligent than the religious. There have been studies that prove this too. Religous people just do things the way they've always been done and don't question why. There's a reason that Christians are called sheep.

Nice avatar pic btw.

Answer 2

It was slow for me, I went to Catholic school for ten years. At about age eleven I stopped going to church because Clarissa Explains it all was on at 12 Sunday and that's when my father went. He offered to go at another time or Saturday night, but I just really didn't want to go. When I was 13 or 14 I was supposed to get confirmed, and I was pretty far into it, with classes and everything. One week I just didn't go, and I never went again. My father (a former jusuit priest) was furious, my mother was practically in tears. She said things like, "Whatever you do, don't tell your grandmother, she'll be HEARTBROKEN". Just a few months ago (a good twelve years after I became a heathen) my mother broke down crying to my sister and myself saying that she was heartbroken that she and I had turned from the faith and she doesn't know how we would survive life because without Jesus and God she knows she never would have survived through the tough times without her faith. Maybe if she hadn't relied on religion as her crutch, she would have changed her life instead of simply bearing it. I know that whatever else happens she will never get past it, no matter how happy I am, how well I do in life or how good I am. It bothers me, but I have accepted it.
I think what finally put me over the edge was the whole praying for things angle; if God has a master plan, which we are told he does, then why would he answer our prayers? Either our desires are in the plan or they are not. Either way who are we to question? Supposedly we are nothing compared to his greatness and he knows our every want and need long before we do, before we are even born, so why ask him for stuff? Why pray every night, to show our love? He knows what we are thinking, whether we love him or not. I feel like it is hippocritical to talk about how omniscient God is, but he needs our constant words and expressions of love or else he'll send us to hell for all eternity if we don't constantly tell him how great he is; that's Greek Pantheon stuff. If I do get sent to hell at the end of my life, like so many seem to think, at least it will be on my own terms and with like minded people. Just because God is omnipotent doesn't mean we have to play his game.
All my friends are not religious either, some of them have even converted their families.

Answer 3

Why did I loose faith in god? I was let down by the members I dealt with regularly. Objectivity & logic became important to me, to the extent I found faults in everyone, alienating some members in the process. Progressively, I stopped caring about my personal devotion, members, pastor, church, faith, & eventually god.

I haven't been criticized by non believers, I find that I share a common ground with them. Rather than being a source of criticism, I've found a common dislike of organized religion & restrictions, than judgemental of each others choices/lifestyle.

A couple of believers I was close with have sought me out, hoping they'll convince me to return to Christian faith. Their support for believing is religion is insufficient. And they can't seem to grasp I'm agnostic not just a backslidding member.

Answer 4

I grew up from being a child under the control of my parents and became a free thinking man. Over time I studied and compared science against religion and as yet have not come to any complete resolve. Until the faiths of religions can explain the lack of reference to those things we have come to prove through scientific discovery then I will continue to accept those tangible proofs over accepting blind faith as to both the beginning and future.

Answer 5

My mom was the one who turned me off of the Christianity my father had been half@ssedly raising us in. She got me interested in paganisn. College philosophy led me further out, wondering how it could be that so many brilliant minds could come up with such violently variant concepts.
I've received criticism from believers, ex-believers, quasi-believers, wanna-believers... I maintain that every person has their own path. I will never say anyone else must walk mine, nor will I ever walk anyone else's.

Answer 6

Christian here. in accordance to the christian eschaton, each and every person would be resurrected to stand the Judgment Seat of God. i think people who're judged negatively would be decrease back to a state of eternal loss of life i.e. nonexistence, oblivion and obliteration. that's going to be as though that they had on no account existed in any respect. i do no longer think in a hell of eternal suffering. Christian theology states that the common definition of hell is purely separation from God without wish of reconciliation. some think of this suggests an eternity in counscious torment. i do no longer think that a loving God would enable this to ensue.

Answer 7

I haven't given up all my faith in a higher power, but I most certainly have given up religion. It's not a belief in God that turned me away, but the judgmental, critical, harsh, intolerant attitude of religion and many religious people. I find that to be counterproductive to finding happiness and true faith in a higher power, whatever that may be, in life.

Answer 8

I gave up belief in god very gradually. Through my studies I realized that:

1. Christianity had no more proof than any other religion
2. Claims made in the bible and by followers contradicted known facts of reality.

I received very little criticism from believers.

Answer 9

My circle of friends are pretty evolved so ... my experience is one that atheism is more of the norm. My wife's extended family are believers and react as if I've told them that I plan on chopping god's head off when they realize that I don't believe in a deity.

Answer 10

Many have been deceived and led astray. They fall into the traps of Satan. I believe if they ever really found God and departed, they will come back to him. I am a believer!