Do people turn atheist when they have a bad experience in life?

Question

Just wondering, why people often give up religion for Atheism!

Answer 1

People also turn Christian for the same reasons. Have you never heard of jail-house conversions?

Being a former Sheriff/Jail Administrator, I can tell you from personal experience that proportionally jails convert as many people to Religion as Churches do, and with about the same degree of sincerity.

Answer 2

no it's been my understanding that people turn to religion when they have a bad experiance. I just don't have a religion because i felt like by choosing one i was telling another religion that they were wrong and i don't believe that. i believe that people are diverse and each person needs something differant in their lives. some need religion and some don't just like some people need alot of sun screen and some don't. i just happen to not need religion. I am a happy person and i have had alot of bad things happen to me but i have overcome them all without religion. the same way someone with religion gives credit to god for making it through. i just give myself the credit because if i didn't get of my butt, nothing would have been done. if god gives you motivation and tools and you don't get up, then you still won't have anything. Why do people give credit to something that may not be there for a job that they did on their own?

Answer 3

I think that this would be a contributing factor in some cases. I know there have been times in my life when I have felt left alone. Most religious people vacillate on a spectrum between belief and unbelief depending on life experience. However, the God I believe in tests His children in this way to build faith. It's kind of a cycle. If we did not experience the bad in this life, we would not know what it was like to have the good.

I do believe that there are some atheists who became such because unexplainable negative circumstances in their lives. or problems that just never got solved no matter how much they felt they turned to God. When you give up on belief, it is harder for God to strengthen your faith in Him.

Of course, this does not explain why everyone who is an atheist is an atheist. Some have intellectual reasons and that's their perogative.

Answer 4

Most people are weak in times of crisis. I am sorry but I will never give up reasoning and my ability to deal with life just because the world has turned in to a more unstable place. One would venture to say it is the weak of mind that causes world problems in the first place.

It the loss of true education in this country that has lead to its chaos. The elite can affect your life in ways most will not understand or can confront. History proves over and over again religions as used to soften the minds of the masses so the elite to convince of just about anything.

If you notice the most educated of people tend not to follow religion but the masses are so indoctrinated they begin to value faith based beliefs more that mind expanding reasonable thinking based education. Once the masses losses its ability to think religions grow and the world become more unstable and quality of life goes down.

Answer 5

I've spoken to a great many who say that they had religion forced on them as kids, and now that they are old enough to make their own decisions, they would rather sleep in on Sunday morning. What is so heartbreaking is how many of them seem to have been abused as children by adults wearing the name "Christian". I suppose it is only natural for these poor misguided people to blame their misery on Jesus, without taking the time to think it through. It is not Jesus who has hurt them, it is evil people wearing His Name who have done it.
The sad thing is, they will die together with their abusers.

Answer 6

It is not common. I think they just had a lot of doubts since they have been children. They do not give up seeking for the answers even after declaring their athiest attitude.
But I believe many of them have bad experience in life or at least had witnessed a bad experience for others.

Peace

Answer 7

No.

Ever hear the phrase "No atheists in foxholes"?

The idea being that people are more likely to go theist when they're in a bad situation, because theism is a moral crutch.

Speaking personally, I never "turned atheist." I didn't wake up one day and think "Man, I need to quit God." It was a gradual realization, through intensive, serious study (I have always been "religiously" inclined), that the "God" of tradition is a lie.

Answer 8

Nope, I've had no bad experiences. My life has just been fine. I didn't give up religion as much as never see a single good reason to adopt one. There's zero evidence for god, no earthly need for one, so why on earth would I try religion?

I do know a couple of people who turned TO religion after a bad experience. But that's too small a sample to consider relevant.

Answer 9

I do think this is the case sometimes. I have witnessed a family member turn away from God just because a prayer was not answered the way he wanted it answered

Answer 10

it would want to flow both way. some human beings grow to be bitter antagonistic to God at the same time as issues flow incorrect, then they finally end up abandoning him thoroughly. Others attraction to direction of him at the same time as issues flow incorrect. They learn issues about him that they by no potential might want to have discovered any incorrect way. The undesirable stuff will grow to be a blessing in cover, no longer for its personal sake, yet for the religious boost it leads to.