for atheist..?

Question

is an atheist, forever an atheist? meaning like is there any chance you'll convert? and how did you become an atheist? by deep researching or deep thinking or influential by friends or media, etc?

im a muslim

i do believe in my God, deeply strong..just asking questions for thinking, not to become one

Answer 1

The answer to this question depends alot on what the definition of an atheist is. An atheist literally means one who does not believe in a God or deity, but quite often people of various religious groups deem others who don't believe in THEIR scriptures as atheists. I guess the perception depends on whether you think I would be an atheist if I expressed my personal beliefs. Albert Einstein believed in God but many consider him to be an atheist because he believed that the explanation from religious texts was not an accurate representation of the universe based on his own observations and experiences.

I grew up with a devoutly religious mother and even as a child I always had questions that she couldn't answer completely. I used to always ask her, " What happens to people after they die in areas that never have exposure to the Bible?" and finally when I was about 17 she came clean about her knowledge shouting "I don't know, people should automatically know from the world around them that there's a God!!" I asked myself "If I never had exposure to the Bible, what would my perception of the world be?", so I decided to view the world from a "clean slate" perspective basing my beliefs non-biasly only on what I percieved, observed, and experienced in the world around me. Based on these aspects I did eventually conclude a personal philosophy about the universe and years later I came to find out that this personal philosophy already existed as a recognized philosophy called Doaism. This philosophy neither denies nor confirms the existence of God or of deities in general but it does accurately portray the dualistic nature of the universe and its applications have been physically proven in science and medicine as well as in our greatest understandings of human behavior.

I would never deny the existence of a God but I do find the contradiction between the reality of the universe and religious scripture and doctine to be the most frustrating of elements to harmonize into a compatible acceptance of truth. This in itself represents probably the most critical example of duality in humanity because those who base their perceptions on faith and those who base them on experience will always oppose eachother in every realm of society but even the slightest doubts will linger on either side to lean toward the other. I do not believe in literal translations of religious scripture and I do believe that the metaphores of Judeo-Christian scriptures have become more important in the minds of followers than the moral guidance they are meant to provide. I believe that rather than saving souls, instituational religion strips mankind of consciousness and reprograms morality based on the indoctrination of human words rather than personal convictions based on experience and feeling. I believe that the REASON for something that happens is always the catalyst and not the goal of the event. If you can believe that an individual who believe this way can believe in God then I am NOT an atheist. But if you believe that those who do not adhere to scriptures are atheist then I am an atheist. Basically, whether I'm an atheist or not really depends on the perspective of the beholder, YOU.

My perceptions and beliefs are not based on the influence of friends nor the media... unless my friends or the media created the universe and the way it functions. And I think that the one thing we can all agree on is that they did NOT. My perceptions are based on observation, research, experiences, and personal moral convictions. If we were to evaluate and compare all the worlds religions against all we know about the universe, the most recent discoveries particularly in quantum physics, would bring Doaist and Buddhist philosophy to the forefront of truth.

Answer 2

I think technically everyone starts out as an atheist. A baby does not believe in gods. But of course, you're talking about adults. Some atheists convert. Most don't.

There is no chance I will convert unless evidence is found to change my view.

My route to atheism was slow. I was raised a Christian and when I began to reason, I realised I could not accept Christianity (on logical or moral grounds). As the same problems related to other religions I became an agnostic. As my views developed this evolved into atheism.

Friends and the media were irrelevant. I was at a religious school with religious friends.

Answer 3

There's no chance I'll become a believer, unless I suffer some kind of brain damage. But sometimes atheists do convert, although I suspect those occasions are rare.

I'm not sure when I stopped believing in god, or even if I ever did believe. I was in junior high when I read the myths of the Greeks, the Egyptians, the Babylonians and some North American Indians, and noticed the similarities in the stories; I suppose that's when I grasped the concept of religion as mythology. I was certainly an atheist by the time I graduated from high school, though I never mentioned it and rarely even thought about it. For the next twenty years (give or take) I never went to church and never missed it (I was raised Catholic). Sometime in my mid-thirties I noticed that I didn't believe; I gave it a little thought; read the bible and thought a little more; decided it was all nonsense and poured myself a drink to celebrate.

I highly recommend it.

Answer 4

Sure, an atheist can convert. I find it highly unlikely I'll convert. I've already been there, (Christian) and I just didn't believe it. I became an atheist after a lot of deep research and deep thinking. It took me a long time to ACCEPT that I just didn't believe. It was very difficult for me. I was tormented for a long time by the doubts I had, after being raised a Christian, and having a strong faith as a child. It's not easy to let go of the (for lack of a better word) "brainwashing" I'd received by the church to the idea that I was damned for not "believing". Now I'm completely comfortable with my beliefs, and at peace with it.

Answer 5

Some deconvert back into the mind virus. Most of us have converted AWAY from the virus, after years of it infecting our minds. Dont get me wrong - Im certain that every single Atheist on this site would become an instant beleiver if only there was concrete and real proof of deities. I know I wont ever convert until I see that (in other words, never.)

I was born and raised a Christian. Deep research, and a thorough reading of the Bible pretty much cinched it for me.

Answer 6

One can make spiritual progress in either direction, even both. It just depends on how one understands "progress" at any moment.

I started as a believer and was driven to agnosticism by the contradictions of my faith, mostly involving the conflict between a just and loving God versus the legalistic and superstitious hoops I was being asked to jump through. My journey consisted of a series of decisions about what my core beliefs were, the minimum amount of doctrine required to remain a believer. The last couple of elements were the most crucial, yet the most difficult to prove. And after encountering a few co-religionists who managed to function with no supernatural foundation at all, I was able to let them go and approach my faith allegorically. I believe IN ideas and moral guidepoints. I don't believe THAT dramatic metaphysical events occured.

I call myself agnostic because I see great value in many religious concepts. But too many religious literalists obssess about the trivial mechanics of their doctrines instead of going out and bringing meaningful love and compassionate action into the world. If God truly existed and were interested in the affairs of humanity, it would be easier to do good and oppose evil. Adding a devil to the doctrinal mix just compounds the problem, setting up a scapegoat for the fear-driven power games that we humans inflict on each other. We'd be more humble, honest and effective in our dealings if we abandoned our supernatural "explanations" and excuses.

Answer 7

Most everyone I know that's an atheist came here from intellecutal or moral reasons!

I was 20, in second year of bible college when the first "pebble" fell down the mountain of my faith. It was in Hermenuetics class - where we translated the bible from it's original languages. The specific passage was 1 John 3 and the "small hole" in english became a gaping hole in koine greek! The harder I tried to make it "fit" with my beliefs (and with reality) the more it fell apart. Eventually, I stopped "thinking" all together and just willed myself to have faith.

I locked myself in a closet every night to pray. I thought that I was being "proud" and relying on my mind and human understanding. So I humbled myself before god. Begging for more faith. It still slipped away. I dropped out of bible college.

For years I held on, just by never challenging it, never thinking deeply about it. Went to church, tried...read CS Lewis, Philip Yancey, anyone that was suggested to me. Read the bible...still...it slipped away. Eventually after the university, it just wasn't there at all.

Taking the last step into atheism was the hardest. I thought I was giving up EVERYthing, all hope, etc. I actually found much peace in not having to force myself to believe any longer. And I have much hope too.

I hope that helps you to understand.

Answer 8

I was bought up by a catholic and an athiest. They both taught me what they believed. I read the bible and attended church, I also read about evolution. They allowed me to make up my own mind based on what I had learned. I chose to belive in evolution. It made more sense to me, and still does. Until someone can prove as conclusively to me that there is a god I will remain as I am.

Answer 9

I became an atheist by years of extensive research and analytical study of various religions, including the one I was born to (Byzantine Catholicism), then walking a mile in the shoes of a few other religions (i.e. studying it from their perspectives), including Islam. None of them made logical sense to me... until I stumbled on Buddhism, now I'm still atheist and Buddhist and the Buddha's teachings make perfectly logical sense to me.

_()_

Answer 10

As an atheist, I am open to anything provable, including religion.

I became an atheist after I studied other religions of which I was not indoctrinated. I found that they all have similarities with modern religions, and they are all mythology.