Why are most atheists ex-Christians & Jews, mostly priests, and other clergy?

Question

As scholars of the Bible do they know something we don't???

Answer 1

The only reason you consider "most atheists" to be "ex-Christians" and "ex-Jews" (or "ex-any other religion") for that matter is because in our society, people think they are born into a religion and they don't become atheistic until giving up that religion.
However, in actually, all are born atheistic (you are born as a clean slate, without any belief system whatsoever), and those who grow up in religious families have religion thrust upon them by their parents, their clergy, and other adults in their life who, I don't doubt, are trying to do right by them.
If you teach a child almost anything from the time they are able to hear you and talk, it will be very difficult for that child to grow up and think anything else. This is the reason that many (NOT ALL) children have the same religious and political beliefs as their parents, because when we are young, we are of the belief that our parents can do no wrong, and even as young adults and adults, we are not usually inclined to belief that our parents have raised us wrong.
The atheists who "denounce" their religion (and to some extent, those who convert to other religions) are really the only ones who have given any thought to the matter and are able to determine for themselves what their beliefs are, rather than attaching themselves to beliefs that are thrust upon them at a young age.

Answer 2

Mostly ex-Christian because it is such an intollerant religion, has caused so much destruction and death throughout history, and even today threatens more of the same. Don't know about Judaism though.

Mostly biblical scholars because these are the people who have studied their religion and couldn't explain all the holes those studies brought to light. It was more or less the same for me - I turned away from Christianity because of its small-mindedness, and then left it for good after studying the bible and comparative religion myself.

EDIT: Keep in mind though, that it also has to do with demographics. Christianity is the majority religion in the West, so obviously the biggest number of people who turn away from religion will come from those ranks...

Answer 3

Wow that's a big huge assumption, isn't it? To say "most" is a very declarative statement!

A few are, yeah, but not most. No, they know nothing more than we do, and besides, if you want to look at the statistics, "most" clergy-type people do NOT turn into atheists, so you could ask the same thing of them "do they know something we don't"?

Answer 4

With such a high percentage of the U.S. population, it only stands to reason that atheists were at one time with the church.

Having said that, in my case, it was a bizarre 7th Day church that helped turn me into an atheist. That, and thinking for myself. It didn't happen all at once.

Answer 5

The reason is that you live in a country that is mostly Judeo-Christian. Since that is the most common religion, it is the one most people would have believed (or been raised in) before they renounced it.

If you were to move to a Hundi country, most Atheist would be ex-Hindus. If you were living in a Budhist country, most Atheist would be ex-Budhist. (Not sure about Muslim country. There, most ex-Mulsims would be dead)

Answer 6

Simple, we studied what we had faith in and truly believed. but as I learned and learned I realized the subjectivity of it all. All Bibles tell more or less the same stories, myths, oral traditions handed down and written down...that's it...myths...superstition. Once you study history you see the context for the spread of religion and Christianity there it loses it's divine origins. Christianity was spread with the sword, not with love...just educate yourselves and you'll see it's all made up. but as usual Christians think with their hearts, not their heads.

Kill your GOD
-Amen

Answer 7

There are also many Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu Athiest also.

In fact Buddhist have no god. Hindus have 840 million gods, which makes them almost no god(the different gods counteract each other).

Answer 8

Certaintly not "most."

And one little tidbit. A pastor isn't much greater then the rest of us. He's a human, too. So he's not much higher in his understanding.

Answer 9

the law of yin and yang.
we all have just as much 'evil' as we do 'good'.
for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Answer 10

it is their presumption of knowledge that leads them down this path of despair.