Is there anyone out there that was once Christian and through deep thought and examination has become Atheist?

Question

I always believed there was a higher power, I went to church as a kid, then in the last 6 years I considered my self born again. Now after careful thought and examination of the bible and how the God of the old testament seems so evil and out for vengence, and looking at science and realizing this planet is in no way less than 10 thousand years old, I believe I am now an Atheist. I feel my I eyes are finally open, and Im free of that dogma that Im sure 6 thousand years ago the people who thought the earth was flat needed a belief like this. Today we have learned so much and to think of this book called the bible in which chapters were picked and chosen and rewritten by bishops along time ago in a very different time seems ridiculous. I see how religion teaches hate, bigotry, ignorance, killing, wars, suppresion of women and so on and I wonder why the rest of thew world cant wake up and see that, I almost feel like religion may be the destruction of man has this happened to anyone else?

Answer 1

Think of religion (and faith) as a rope over a precipice and you have one hand on that rope. That's your belief. That is why people cannot just "wake up and and see that". Too many people have so much invested in their faith that they cannot just give it up. There are people who would even unravel if they found there was no god. It's their lifeline.

No one becomes an atheist overnight. It can take months or even years. I read an account by this woman who was a devout born-again and it took her almost 10 years to realize that there isn't a god. It's a long process.

Answer 2

I went to Catholic school as a child, and went through the Sacrements quickly (Baptism at age 7, then Communion and Confirmation within the next two years) so this information was all I had known. However, now that I am older and have seen more of the world, I guess the thing that has made me doubt my thoughts are the events going on in this world. How could God let these events happen? And why can't He accept everyone? But I also have an even larger question--how did we get here? Scientifically, there are theories such as the big Bang, but then the question there is WHO created that? I would consider myself Agnostic-undecided until I have a clearer vision.

Answer 3

Id have to say that the majority of Atheists were at one time followers of some religion. I too was born and raised a Christian, up until I left home at 18. I quickly became an atheist afterwards. Pretty much for the same reasons...

I got news for ya - people thought the world was flat as recently as NOW!! There is an organization called the "Flat Earth Society." Check them out - great for a laugh at gullible religious people...

Answer 4

Does it count if you became agnostic? My hubby was raised Baptist, and followed the teaching up until he was about 20. Then, he started really questioning, looking into all the things he had been taught were bad, and his life actually imporved, he said he became more open minded, and happier. He no longer believes there is a God, but does not dismiss the possibility. He despises organized religion, and sees it NOW for what he didnt see before.

Answer 5

I read the Bible the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gnostic Gospels, read the Tao and other Taoist texts, the Baghavad Gita and some books on Buddhism. After studying I realized that God is unnecessary. If God exists it would have to be necessary, therefore it doesn't exist.

Answer 6

My life has included a religious odyssey. I am the son, grandson, nephew, and cousin of Methodist ministers. On my own, I was a "Jesus Freak" during high school (in the 1970s), majored in Religion in a Methodist college, and spent one year in seminary.

Being gay rendered me ineligible for ordination, so I left seminary and divorced the Methodists, refused to return the Baptists' calls, fled abuse from the Catholics, & engaged in heavy petting with the Episcopalians & eventually the Unitarians. Each step led me closer to agnostic atheism.

I'm now studying secular Buddhism because in Buddhist spirituality belief in God is unnecessary.

Answer 7

Yep. Was born Catholic and raised one till I was about 14 or so, then switched to Baptist, was almost a jesus freak for a while till I finally opened my eyes... even during my most "spiritual" and "holy" times, I could never get myself to take the Bible literally or seriously... after all... I have always been very interested in science (astronomy and cosmology especially)... :)

Answer 8

i was Christian
when i was 17 i became agnostic verging on atheism
but through personal experiences i could not give up on " something bigger than us " all together
i am now spiritualist

i feel many people give up on the idea of God though through experiences with one faith ... and assume all faiths teach the same thing
i am in a religion that would in no way promote any of those things that many feel is Gods words ( bigotry war etc )
this is just my personal feelings though xx

Answer 9

The bible never states how old the Earth is, it only tells how old mankind is through timelines. The bible also teaches that the world is round thousands of years before scientists figured it out. Religion is of the devil. The scriptures, as a whole, teaches the truth and a better way of life and can answer any question that you may have. You only need to learn how to study it.

Answer 10

It's happened to the overwhelming majority of the atheists on this forum. You are not alone. Keep using your brain, keep studying your Bible, keep praying.

Why, when I'm one of those atheists, who went through the sorts of things you describe, am I telling you to read your Bible and to keep praying?

As someone once said (I think Mark Twain, and I'm paraphrasing), "A thorough reading of the Bible is the surest route to atheism."