Atheists...what really made you lose faith?

Question

Are you athiest because you truly believe in only science, or were you just disillusioned/appalled/disgusted by the actions of some so-called "holy" people and their religions? I ask this because when I'm reading anything about atheists, I always find a common theme in their story...they (or someone they knew or cared about) suffered an unjust tragedy and wondered how an all-powerful God could let it happen. Or, they just cant stand how hypocritical many religious people can be. Some friends of mine are atheist and they always mention church corruption and scandals as a major turn-off to organized religion, but I never get a clear answer as to why they think there is no God. I am not a 'born again' or anything like that. I haven't had any visions or revelations. I suffered a sudden death of a very loved family member at a young age...my parents are divorced, etc. etc. While I have been angry at whatever God may be for getting a raw deal at times, deep down I don't think I've seriously doubted God's existence as to denounce him/her/it completely. I think God's message has been distorted by many to fit their own agendas. I believe in science, I believe in the Big Bang and evolution...but I also believe in cause and effect, which is one the underlying principles of the universe, and based on that I simply cannot accept as logical that there wasn't something that either wrote the code or set the wheels in motion. I think the problem is that man has tried to personify something that cannot be personified, and I think we make the mistake of always assuming everything should always be 'fair.' As you know, everything in nature has to have balance...this includes both good and bad events. if it was one way or the other all the time, nature would not have balance, and it would be chaos. Anyway, I don't think God is a superstitious "invisible man living in the sky" as Carlin puts it...but I do believe that God just is. That's my take...I'm not trying to convert anyone or change anyone's mind, but I've wanted to ask this for a long time. What REALLY made you lose all faith completely, and more importantly, would would it take to ever get it back?

Answer 1

The bible.

Incest, murder, rape, genocide, slavery, homophobia, sexism, racism. And that's all in the first act.

I believe in A GOD, not the Bible God.

Answer 2

Wow. This is the first time I have ever heard someone ask this question without an ax to grind. I was a Christian from childhood. I didn't set out to became an atheist. It was the result of my own curiosity about the historicity of Jesus as well as my interest in mythology that did it. I simply researched the historical evidence for this man named Jesus. I read all of Karen Armstrongs books, a woman considered one of the leading experts on religion alive today. I also read all of anthropologist Joseph Campbell and all of the work of Biblical Scholar, Bart Ehrman. Over the course of my life, I have been a pretty regular Church attendee. I was raised Methodist, but attended a Catholic High School where I always questioned the Jesuit priests. As an adult, I studied the OT with a Rabi since I found both the ministers and the priests deficient in biblical knowledge. They had an extensive knowledge of church law but an appalling education concerning the Bible. I looked belief from the perspective of psychology as well. From grade school I had an intense in religion. In actuality, my atheism was borne of a lifetime of research. It took years for the realization to come upon me. At a gut level, I believe there is no God. I have nothing against anyone changing my mind. What would it take for that to happen? Concrete evidence from a very respected source. And I was not turned off by any Christian at any time. You have a great day.

Answer 3

I'm Agnostic, because I find it difficult to believe the bible. Maybe I don't understand the bible well. I'll admit that is very possible. But as long as I've tried to understand the bible it burns holes in my mind. The bible sets loop holes in my thought process. Am I to believe every word by man about god? Man wrote the bible undoubtedly. So am I also to believe the bible written by mans' hands? I've read Sci-fi novels and fantasy novels that are more true to life. The bible seems made up, at least most of it.

And I'm not Christian on purpose because if I called myself Christian without believing like one I'd be a liar. Christianity has some qualities I like. Christianity mostly confuses me. The many different interpretations are enough to get anyone to lose belief.

Answer 4

I don't recall ever having had any "faith". I remember being told some stories at a young age, but like Santa Claus, they never translated into what I consider to be reality.

As far as things being too complex for there not to be a god, I most respectfully disagree. Please understand that you can continue with that apparent paradox indefinitely if you assume ALL complex things need a creator. Is god not a complex thing? Does he not need a creator as well? I say that if you insist that he is forever and without beginning or end, then I say you have just broken your own logical assertion by choosing when to redefine the parameters. It is flawed logic.

Answer 5

I caution you against getting caught in the infinite regression of the argument from design. To me, it is more logical that a bit of energy that started the big bang "just exists" then for a powerful senient being to "just exist" to make the universe.

Scientists theorize that we can one day make a universe in a lab. If so, should the inhabitants of that universe properly be deists? I imagine they should, so I don't find that term unreasonable.

It depends on what you mean by "God", as is sounds more like you favor a watchmaker or other style of god. To mean it is not unreasonable to contemplate whether or not such a creator exists, but I do find it reasonable to maintain faith that he does. I have no belief that such a creator exists, but I don't no shy away from discussions regarding that possibility, and perhaps some day my mind will be changed. But until then agnostic atheistism seems to most rational path.

As for me, the journey to atheism was just my prior believe in Santa Claus. Evenutally, I just figured it out.

Personally, I have no personal tragedy. Just a good education in reason and I am well read. Eventually, I turned my examination of the world to my religious beliefs, and then my beliefs about a creator, and they fell apart.

Tragedies are just as likely to draw folks to God as it is to drive them away. I would affix no special prominence to it.

Answer 6

Not all atheists are that way because of tragedy or belief in church corruption.

Some use their logic skills and apply them towards religion.

Here is something to think about.

Lets say a guy and his friends come up to you on the street. The guy says, "Hey, I am Jesus and I am back." The friends back up his story and each tell you of seeing wonderful miracles from the guy. Would you believe that he is Jesus? Would you want to see some sort of proof that he is Jesus? That is what a lot of atheists want. Some sort of proof. It has to be modern proof that can be verified.

The bible is no good because it was written centuries ago. We do not know exactly who wrote it and what revisions have been made over the years. It also contradicts itself and it has some plain silly stories in it. What kind of proof would you ask of the Jesus guy who walked up to you on the street? You would not give blind devotion to this guy unless he could back up his words.

What if the Jesus guy wants you to change your lifestyle in a dramatic way? You would definately want proof that he was Jesus then, wouldn't you. Today's religion does not offer anything like proof. Too many point to the bible and say there is your proof. Some will point to the world and say there is the proof. However, those are not proof that a god exists.

It is the lack of proof that causes many atheists to be atheists.

Answer 7

I'd just like to make a comment not really an answer. It saddens me that people will judge ALL Christians on the acts of few. As far as the Bible goes, all i can say is you MISUNDERSTOOD it. you read it but you didn't READ it. In order to understand the Bible you have to READ it and you have to go really indepth and usually that requires God's help. so an atheist in hopes of understanding the Bible...probably isn't going to happen. They'll read things out of context and misunderstand things or events. And it might be possible to FULLY understand the Bible but not likely. As far as homosexuality goes. yes we believe it is a sin. because it is. to us. Our Bible tells us that homosexuality is a SIN. that it is wrong and immoral. we believe our Bible so we believe that. now i don't think Christians should treat them horribly and tell them they can't go to church blah blah blah. but it is impossible to be a good Christian and be gay. sorry. that is just the way it is. In Christianity, being gay is a sin so if you sin everyday and don't feel the need to ask for forgiveness then...but i mean if you are gay and part of another religion that thinks it is okay. then whatever. all i'm saying is from the CHRISTIAN point of view it is a sin. maybe not from yours. everyone has different perspectives of life and things in life. I think another question to be asked to Christians (and i mean true Christians) what really made you feel faith and believe in God? i think atheists should read the replies.

Answer 8

I disagree with many of the things that the Bible claims to be true and correct. I am offended by the ignorance of those people who try to claim it's not 'literal' and shouldn't be taken 'out of context'.
I have more faith in the scientific method than in a book that was written over many years by many different authors who never had the opportunity to discuss their sources with each other.
I believe there is more to life than what a God has chosen for us & that the universe is so complex that no conscious mind could have created it all, it's just too complex.
For you information, no 'terrible event' happened in my life to make me stop believing. I developed common sense as I got older and I have not been a believer since about the age of nine.

Answer 9

Realizing that there are no gods. Really, it's nothing more than that. I have many more atheist friends than you do, and I can't think of any that converted because of a tragedy in their life or corruption in the church. Most just had questions about their religion, looked into them, then realized there are no gods.

For example, take myself. I grew up in a middle class family. I had a good childhood and no real tragedy in my life. I was raised a Lutheran by loving parents. My sister became fairly religious later in life and ended up marrying a Methodist minister. I didn't mind going to church, though it wasn't my favorite place to be. I did like the youth programs, especially when we went camping. So, there was nothing negative you could really point to that drove me away from the church.

Basically, I just learned more about the world around me and much of it didn't agree with what was taught in church. So, I looked into Christian belief, my beliefs, other religious beliefs, and the nature of belief in general. I found that there really was no basis for Christian belief or any religious belief. I talked with Christians and asked questions. I also talked with people of other religions.

So, my conversion to atheism came about through honest study and introspection.

To answer your last question, to get my belief in the existence of a god would take being convinced that one exists. That would take some pretty convincing evidence considering all the evidence against it. But if your god exists, I'm sure he's smart enough to think of something. So far, he hasn't bothered, or can't.

Answer 10

I was raised in a Protestant household and attended Sunday School as a child. At about the age of 10- 12 or so, I began to realize that the "stories" were not adding up, and that something was wrong with the whole God-style Universe and life. I started asking questions of the Sunday School teachers and then Ministers in my own church, and at about the age of 15 or so, I started talking seriously to priests, rabbis, etc... in other religions. None of them could give me any real answers that didn't begin with "you have to have faith", or "look around you: it must have been created by God". I ultimately came to the conclusion that there was simply no evidence whatsoever to support the idea of 1) a God, 2) this specific God, or 3) any specific interpretation of any specific God over any other interpretation of the same God.

What would it take to give me faith? Some evidence of the existence of the thing in which you want me to have faith. Otherwise, one is merely pledging allegience to the fantasy of one's choosing.

Answer 11

Two words,

Jerry Falwell

I probably would have been a faithful kid if I hadn't been constantly exposed to him, but every single time it struck me as horribly wrong. Eventually I sat down and read the bible on my own, and honestly believe if the god of the bible existed Jerry Falwell would be nothing more than a charred spot. Same goes for Pat Robertson and that ******** who was protesting soldier funerals.

With a religion who's general message is "Don't be an asshole and you're in" these guys regularly do and drive others to do horrible things in it's name.