Question for atheists?

Question

And I hope there are enough of you on so that I get a fair amount of answers.
I know that this type of question has been asked before, so if anyone wants to copy and paste an earlier answer, or simply post a link, that's fine.
My question is this:
What are the most prominent things that influenced you to become an atheist? Was it something you learned in science? If so, what was it? Was it a bad experience with the hypocrisy that seems to run rampant in the church? A bit of both? Something else?
And before anyone starts guessing WHY I'm asking this question, I'll just explain EXACTLY why:
Because I'm interested. That's it. I'm not assuming that any of you "believe" in something else, I'm not trying to convert, I'm just curious.
Perhaps if I have enough good answers, I'll post why I was an atheist. And if anyone's interested.
This is just an opportunity to share. That's all.

One answerer said:

Since you used to be an Atheist, I assume that you're now a Christian and you're looking to convince Atheists why they should be Christians.

The assumption is mostly incorrect. I am a Christian, that's true; however, I am not looking to convince anyone why they should be a Christian. I'm just interested in other peoples' perspectives, as difficult as that might be to believe.
I have no ulterior motive, just curiosity born out of respect. Nothing more, nothing less.
One could assume that since I used to be an atheist, I wouldn't insult another atheist's intelligence by trying to convince them that Christianity, or ANY religion for that matter, is "better."
We all have to choose our own way, based upon our own experiences, and our own understanding of the world, right? I know I did.

Before I add why I was an atheist, I'd like to say that when I read through each of the answers, I saw that each answerer (have to keep this impersonal, otherwise it's chatting, lol) had some of the same reasons I did.
I'll give a brief overview, and then if any of the answerers would like to contact me, feel free. I promise I won't try to convert anyone.
Here they are:
1. No scientific evidence for God.
2. Origins of life seemed to be explained satisfactorily by scientific research.
3. Hypocrisy in the church. (Knew that one was coming!)
4. How far-fetched the Bible seemed. (Talking donkeys? Come ON!)
5. The violent history of the church.
6. The division between each religion (of which there are many).
7. Studying psychology, mythology, and history. (Need I say more?)
8. The misery in the world, and the senseless violence.
9. No evidence that Jesus existed.
10. No evidence that ANY of the events in the Bible actually happened.

My perspectives have changed, obviously, and I found something to help me believe. I won't say what. Better if anyone wants to know, they can ask me.
Thanks to all who answered! It's going to be difficult to choose a best answer...I think I'll have to mull it over until the last possible moment, before the question goes up for a vote.
Then again, I might just let it go to a vote, though I hate doing that. There were just so many WONDERFUL answers.

Answer 1

First, one needs to distinguish between atheist, agnostic and the merely rebelious.

I'm not an atheist, but I am not a Christian, so my answer must be considered as having come from that position.

Typically though, being an atheist is a philosophical position. It is basically the position that one will believe that which can be seen or reasonably proved. As there is no signifiant evidence for the existence of god, one will take the position that they will not assume that a god exists. While there is significant evidence that what does exist could have come about through natural means, one concludes that if a god is not necessary, it is unreasonable to believe that such a being exists.

At some point, a child, taught that Santa brings christmas presents each year will encounter evidence showing that Santa is not necessary. He or she will hear "your parents did it". Parents could try to keep up the illusion, but eventually, the child will do some research and discover that Santa isn't necessary to provide presents. The alternative explanation will become obviously correct.

With atheism, the case isn't as clear. While they see no evidence of God, they don't have the ability to see the parent sneaking the presents under the tree in the middle of the night. Still, the scientific evidence does point to the fact that a god may not have been necessary for the exisence of the universe. They reject the concept of a god as simply unnecessary, and therefore not real.

Agnostics will admit that they have no evidence of this god, and thus, hold no real opinion as to his or her existene.

There are those too, who rebel against organized religion. They see evil in the world, and conclude from this that god must either not be real, or must not exist. This is an emotional, rather than a rational decision.These are the sort who are more likely to change their opinions later in life.

Answer 2

I was religious as a child. I was born into a Methodist family, Adopted by Catholics and baptized at 9 years old. Married a non practicing Southern Baptist, studied Wicca and Buddhism.

I've read the Bible many times and even "became a Christian" many times in my life.

I am not a religious person, I am spiritual. I don't believe there is a God.

There are several factors that helped me decide that Christianity is a hoax.

1. The Bible, that is supposedly the word of God written by man, has too many imperfections and inconsistencies. The Bible says that "I am a jealous God", however, it goes on to say that jealousy is a sin.

The virgin birth is something that I just cannot wrap my mind around and the whole resurrecting from the dead thing is just the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

2. Science has proven that man/ woman has many "gifts".
They have also proven that humans use only 10-15% of there brain power, while the other 85-90% lays dormant.

It has also proven that there are people in the world who use more than as much as 20-30% of thier brain, and some people use portions of thier brain that others donot use.

Is it so far fetched to believe that there once was a man who had the capablitiy to use a higher percentage of his brain and primitive man did not have the technology to explain it so the only way they could explain it was to say that he was a "God"?

Can we not understand that, as it happens even today, he most likely took advantage of the fact that they were uneducated and let them believe that he was a "God" to benefit himself?

3. I have difficulty with people who believe that there is a "God" who would "allow" people to be born with sicknesses of all sorts and go thru life with these hardships.

4. "God" never meant for there to be religious warfare among his people.

People who murder in the name of God are sick and twisted!

You are not furthering the word of God by killing off entire nations of people simply because they don't believe the same as you.

God meant for the entire world to be in peace together, yet man/woman has not caught on to this concept as of yet (and I don't believe they ever will).

5. If there is a God, why are there so many different religions?

God didnot mean for his people to be divided in their beliefs. There is supposed to be one religion for all!


So what do you believe with all these questions?

Who do you believe?

How can you believe one faith and not another?

God, said that we are not to have ANY engraven images or icons to worship, yet the Catholics have the cross, the alter, the statue of Mary and Jesus and much more, and as long as you confess your sins on Sunday, you are forgiven and everything will be ok.

Many religions go directly against what the Bible teaches, yet people continue to ignore it time and time again.

Why am I Athiest or Agnostic (or what ever you want to call it)? The facts speak for themselves.

Answer 3

I’ll try my best not to sound bashful. I was born in a religious family and since everyone else is religious, they thought I should be religious too. My grandmother pressurized me the most. She was making me pray before I start eating. She was making me read the bible and she was making me go to the church. As a result, I am an atheist: I will never say anything that’s even close to praying; the bible is the worst book for me to read and the church is the worst place for me to go to. And no, I don’t believe a single word the bible says. And no, I will never change my mind.

I might be different. Pressurizing did the job. I am who I am. People would call me an atheist. I call myself the realist, because I only believe what I see or what is scientifically proven to be true.

Answer 4

I never believed any of it, even though I was raised in a family that attended church weekly. I like Sunday School--we read what I assumed everyone thought were fairy tales, we sang songs, colored pictures, my great-grandfather talked to everyone about the fairy tales, and I got to get dressed up. Then, one day I realized that everyone thought all this was REAL. I was one of those people they talked bad about, who didn't believe. I was stunned that my mother and father actually bought this magic stuff as actually happening.

I spent a long time asking to be shown that the Christian god was real. Then I spent an even longer time trying to find a different religion that made sense. Eventually, I realized that there's no evidence that any god exists, that there's no evidence that one religion is more "true" than any of the others, and that there are more rational explanations for all of the things that religion tries to "magic" away. When I learned what "atheism" meant and started learning about science and history and anthropology and psychology, I felt more relief than I could ever explain: I had finally found something that made sense, that seemed true, that could be challenged without fear of eternal torture, that was more interested in finding out actual truth than in being "right" all the time.

That's it. No bad church experiences, no anger at not getting the pony I prayed for, no corruption at the hands of a high school biology teacher.

Answer 5

I became atheist when I realized that there was no need for a god, there are too many religions for there to be just one god who will punish everyone else for not believeing... eventhough they never knew who the right god was, the church is just so corrupt and money loving that it turned me away from religion. My hate for religion really fueled my search for the truth. Religions preach one thing... that they are right, and most of them want to kill eachother for not believing like the other. science really didn't have a huge affect on my decision making because it is possible that a god is controlling science... I don't believe that there is in any way but its possible. Oerall though I think most of my decisions and influences came from inside my self. I looked deep within myself and thought for days and days, years really, and when I finally got that lightbulb over the head feeling, I knew I was right. You can't only look at one or two things and say this is why I believe you have to look at as many things as you can and say these are ALL the things that make me believe what I do. Philosophy, science, religions, history and anthropology all had and are still having an affect on my beliefs. I hope this helps.


Atheist and proud.

Answer 6

Hell fire.

I was raised a Catholic, and hell never made any sense to me.
I would be imprisoned if caught putting just someones hand in a fire even if they deserved it.

Would a God of love burn someone? forever?

I became an atheist and preached it like many do on this site.

But THEN, I studied the Bible critically and learned that hell fire is NOT what the Bible teaches.

This then made it possible for me to look at other questions about God a little more open-mindedly.

Many of the points made by atheists can be studied rationally in the Bible context, IF a person can admit that he doesn't know everything yet.

Answer 7

Since you used to be an Atheist, I assume that you're now a Christian and you're looking to convince Atheists why they should be Christians. Unless you can prove the existence of God (and rainbows and puppies don't count), you're not going to be able to do it.

Maybe I misread your question. If I did, then I apologize. Until I ran into the 'was' part of your question, I assumed you were a Christian who was curious about how someone could become an Atheist. This question has been asked a lot, and I can't tell you how often I get emails from Christians who say they want to have a dialogue, but a few emails later want to convert me. The only way I'll be converted is if God stands in front of me and whisks me to the Eiffel Tower for an hour. Then I'd have to say that he might be real.

Answer 8

Interesting question. I was baptised/confirmed Lutheran protestant but brought up with no discernable religious elements. (Confirmed for 'what would the neighbours say if not' reasons...).

I always viewed religion(s) from an 'intrigued outsider' perspective, and never had an inkling of the faith thing, or how it works. I thought/discussed belief a lot during my teens (still do nowadays), trying to make sense of it which never happened. And I'm sort of glad it didn't as I felt religion was nothing but a support tool for people who felt they could not handle the problems of life without.

I introduced myself to Wicca in my early 20s, and found it appealing on a theoretical basis, but again realised I lacked faith. It would be my intellectual/political religion of choice if I had to have one, but I finally realised I was perfectly happy without and could no more convince myself of a higher being than of the existence of little pink unicorns...

Also, researching history/theology/politics of both catholicism and (in particular) evangelical protestantism (even studied a semester of theology before the pietists scared me off) cured me of any rest-appeals of Christianity and religion as a whole for good. Like, say, advertising, it feels as if a huge complex of institutions and people has been built around a theoretical construct that contains nothing at all.

But basically it's an issue of comprehending 'faith' neither intellectually nor emotionally.

Answer 9

I'm not even sure that I'm an athiest, because sometimes I feel like there must be something out there to explain why the world is here and why we are doing what we are doing. I definitely think that the hipocrasy in the christian/catholic religion has something to do with it. I have a friend who is a very religious christian and sometimes the discussions we have really turn me off about christianity. It could be the closed mindedness or intolerance that she has for certain things. I also think the President has turned me off too with his desire to impose his religious beliefs onto the entire country when that is exactly what this country is not supposed to be about...and he is also the biggest hypocrit.

Answer 10

The most prominent thing that influenced me to become an Atheist was how the bible contradicted itself. And how people believe in Miracles, but all of those miracles can be explained by science. Maybe my reasoning is that if there was a God would he let people do the things they are doing now? If God was such a powerful person back in the early times, meaning he communicated with the people left and right, why does he not do it now? But, honestly, do you think that the universe was just there, there from the beginning of time?

Science cannot explain all of it, but it can surely explain most of it.

Being free from believing in God or such can also open your eyes to the world of Science. Which to me, is the most important thing in my life.