How many atheists came from deeply religious families?

Question

My parents were religious liberals, for lack of a better term. But it seems like a lot of people used to be pretty devout??

acaykath: My parents were Adventists, but adhered to relatively little of their dogma. My dad, being a physicist, certainly didn't believe that any God "spoke" anything into existence in any real way. My mom was kind of a hippie -- did lots of public health work. She spent a lot of her younger life working for public health on indian reservations, including family planning.

Answer 1

I'm not an atheist, but a friend of mine is a very outspoken one, and he came from a family of extremely devout Jehovah's Witnesses. Most (but not all) of the atheists I personally know came from heavy religious backgrounds. Another one I know used to be a Lutheran minister.

Answer 2

My mother goes to church every Sunday, has been given a special note directly from the Vatican she is a poster child for the Catholic church. She is also a cleptomaniac unfortunately the product of alcoholic parents. It amazes me to see how devout she is, our priest loves her, her fellow parisheners love her, wonder how they would feel if they knew the thruth about the little old lady who walks to church every Sunday two hours before it even starts.

I love my mother but she has a problem and I am not in denial over that. Sorry I didn't buy into the God delusion and for what, her life was a living hell and still is, she is now 89.

I have not to look any further but into the eyes of my mother and see the pain she has endured in a lifetime, how can you believe in a GOD who does that to your mother?

Answer 3

Not an atheist, but raised evangelical Lutheran. Mom was on board of church, wedding and Sunday School commitees, blah blah. Made me be "involved" and appointed me positions. Punishment for not drawing inside the lines.

We're cool now that I'm a mom and I turned out "ok".

Answer 4

Wow! you imagine your relations incorporates psychopaths! the answer is get a job, bypass out of the relations homestead, and declare that you've tried, yet that you're unable to trust. they should know, being believers, that there is not any factor contained in the, or you, forcing your self to trust. it truly is merely no longer conceivable. you could go by the motions, yet in case you do not trust, then you fairly do not. Having stated all that, at the same time as perception in god is in touch, reason is going correct out the window. sturdy luck, you're gonna want it!

Answer 5

My mom was a devout Catholic. My father was a devout alcoholic. I would be severely reprimanded for questioning religious matters in school.

Answer 6

Most atheists I know, me included, had a religious background. As one grows and learns one suddenly has a "This is bullsh*t!" moment and everything falls into place. Everything one learns from that moment reinforces the lack of belief in gods.

Answer 7

Religious liberals... Do you mean they were religiously liberal, which would be fairly common, or Liberal religious persons, which is slightly contradictory. Either way, I am not an athiest, so I guess my opinion doesn't really count, though I would guess that athiest families raise more athiests than religious ones.

Answer 8

Mine are religiously liberal too. I mean, they ARE Catholic... but they aren't strict Catholics, like "I must adhere to every position the Vatican takes" kind of Cathlics.

No, they're really open minded. Cafateria Catholic, one of the priests calls it. Of course the priests discourage it, but my parents... oh, those rebels!

Answer 9

I am an atheist. My mom almost became a nun. I was brought up in elementary parochial school.

Go figure.

Answer 10

Both my wife and I came from strict Catholic homes.