Does saying "I used to be an atheist..." mean "I used to be logical and correct, but now I'm foolish..."

Question

... like the rest of society"? ... and to gain sympathy and credibility?

Answer 1

yes exactly

something happened that they can no longer be logical & had to find spiritual emotional support

Answer 2

I see nothing logical in the contempt that so called atheists have shown..they do not clearly present arguments that could convince religious people that they are wrong...and their weak comments about how ignorant and foolish others are shows their own insecurity and childish ways.
As a Christian, I do not need the sympathy or credibility status that you think an atheist can provide.
But, then again...you couldn't even properly present a question here either.
Peace be with you always.

Answer 3

Jesus Christ is the Lord, Amen.

This question again?

Could you at least come up with better material and a logical argument that doesn't leave you sounding void of credibility?
Not attacking your faithlessness or anything, just tired of the same
bigoted rhetoric. If you would like to engage in an intelligent conversation-
I'm all ears.
Why on earth would I need any sympathy?
You're the one who's on Y/A rambling on and repeating yourself as if you have Alzheimer's or something.
Why would I be pleading for credibility?
Either you believe or you don't. That's not for me to judge. And yet, even though I don't judge you, you're
sitting there judging me. But that's okay. The Righteous is expected to suffer at the hands of the Unrighteous/
unjust. I accept that burden. And I don't want any sympathy either.
If you were genuinely concerned for us
" believers " you would sit down and try to figure out a way to help deliver us from all of this alleged "foolishness, illogic and brain-washing" we're supposedly undergoing by exposing us to some irrefutable evidence that God does not
exist-but you have none.
It's as illogical to think that the world and all of its creations just happened to get here all by themselves as it is to think that SUV's, DVD players/burners,
computers, clothes, food, residences,
etc., would have eventually created,
packaged, and marketed themselves, and would have existed out of nothing; without the help nor design of anyone; and simply evolved into being. God bless the lost. Prayers.

Answer 4

You've heard the expression "there are no atheists in foxholes". That's because a good jolt of fear will knock the logic out of anyone, leaving them to grasp at fairytale straws to gain....hope. Religion allows for hope, logic doesn't.

So: "I used to be an athiest, but something scared the crap out of me, so now I'm afraid and hopeful...just like the rest of the sheep".

Nothing has scared me that badly yet. My logic is intact. I'll make Pascal's wager on my death bed, just to cover my shorts--evil cynic that I am.

Answer 5

Yes. I think saying I used to be an atheist is supposed to lend credibility to some answers, as if that persons one time lack of belief in gods somehow qualifies them to universally understand all atheism.

Answer 6

So, does that mean if a Theist becomes an Atheist, he or she would suddenly experience an increase in logic and educational level?

That after all is the “logical” flip-side of your argument or rather ‘opinionated conclusion’.

Answer 7

It means...I once was lost but now I'm found. Not by god because god never left you but that you were lost but now have returned. Albert Einstein one of the most logical people that ever lived said " person who is religiously enlightened appears to me to be one who has, to the best of his ability, liberated himself from the fetters of his selfish desires and is preoccupied with thoughts, feelings and aspirations to which he clings because of their super-personal value ... regardless of whether any attempt is made to unite this content with a Divine Being, for otherwise it would not be possible to count Buddha and Spinoza as religious personalities. Accordingly a religious person is devout in the sense that he has no doubt of the significance of those super-personal objects and goals which neither require nor are capable of rational foundation ... In this sense religion is the age-old endeavour of mankind to become clearly and completely conscious of these values and goals, and constantly to strengthen their effects." He argues that conflicts between science and religion "have all sprung from fatal errors." However "even though the realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each other" there are "strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies" ... "science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind ... a legitimate conflict between science and religion cannot exist."

Answer 8

Listen, there is no accounting for belief and faith..

People will believe what they will for whatever reasons suit thier fancies.

I, personally, am not arrogant enough to say "I am right and you are wrong, so you must be foolish."

Regardless of what you believe (or do not believe), I think it would be prudent to have respect for the views of others. To do otherwise would be to unnecessarily invite problems for yourself.

By all means, feel free to think they are foolish, but remain silent on the matter.

Answer 9

"I used to be an atheist" does not imply that I am not still an atheist. (I could also have become a deist, an agnostic or whatever.) It means nothing at all except what it says, i.e. "I used to be an atheist."

In the context of something like "I used to be an atheist, but now I am a theist" your interpretation is dependent on whether one does indeed believe that, under some or all circumstances, it is foolish to be a theist.

So your question doesn't really make a lot of sense.

Answer 10

No...it doesn't mean anything like that...

I am a christian and I am (so I've been told) intelligent, straight forward and open minded...but nobody will take my beliefs away from me...
People who think about believers that they are silly and naive should look better in the mirror...

I am 23years old and I have achieved many more things than other girls at my age...so maybe believing in God makes me a better person in a psychological way...

Answer 11

It probably just means that the person making the statement changed their mind about atheism at some point. It happens. There are also plenty of people who say, "I used to be a Christian", or "I used to be a Muslim". Sometimes, people change their opinions. Not everybody chooses to remain fixed in their viewpoints for the rest of their lives.