Atheist turned believer?

Question

I was just wondering if any ex-athiests out there could tell me what made them convert. I'm really curious, did something happen to you that forced you to believe, or what?

Answer 1

I was an atheist for 18 years. Raised Pentecostal. Began a slide into atheism at 15 because Christianity, as it was presented to me and as I interpreted it, made no sense to me whatsoever. Discovering Nietzsche and Darwin at 15 pretty much sealed the deal for me.

Looking back, I realize my story was pretty typical of that age group. It is very common for teens and young adults to go through an "atheist" period and often, they revert to their childhood faith later in life. Call it a rite of passage, rebellion, scorn for what they perceive as conventionality or provincialism... whatever. I just continued mine until well into my 30s, and I was very, very good at it.

I had something of a St. Paul experience that to this day, I cannot explain and which sounds too weird to be believed, so I am going to spare the details, except to emphatically state I have never taken drugs, in case you're wondering. ;-)

I also am keeping it private so as my experience, which was truly life-changing for me, will not be held up to ridicule by the idiots who regularly traverse these boards.

I will add that I am very inclined to be skeptical about everything (as evidenced by my attitude towards religion in my youth) so this was a significant change for me.

Fast-forward two years later and I am going through my Confirmation in the Church. That was in 1998. I am still a devout Catholic.

I chose Catholicism (or rather, it chose me) because of the Church's historical significance in regards to the history of Christianity,the compilation of the New Testament, and the reasoning thereof.

Answer 2

Not atheist, but agnostic turned believer.

I spent a long time debating in my head whether there might be a God. I was certainly turned off by nuts who told me I had to believe the Flinstones was a documentary, and that Adam (or Barney Rubble) were chased about by dinosaurs. I mean, I could look around at the rocks by the sea and see how very ancient they were, with trilobites and crinoids fossilized deep into rock. I could stare deep into space in my telescope in the backyard and see stellar nurseries, and red stars far older than the fundamentalist calendar allowed.

At the same time, I had to wonder.... can this really be all there is? There were times in my life when life itself seemed to be taking shape with meaning, such as when my children were born. My life was slouching towards something.

I eventually realized there is not a lot of room on a fence. I let my heart take the lead, and was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn't have to leave my brain behind. I began to realize that there is a vast treasury of writings by Christian intellectuals from age to age, and that Christian thought ran much deeper than the Elmer Fudd Gantrys preaching at the local non-denominational.

Answer 3

One tiny little ingredient you have ignored right here.... we can ALL receive *bodies* at that ingredient : some for glory and a few for hell.... so in fact, in case you think and have self assurance in and of God, your soul and physique would be united.... The Bible does not say we can't understand what is going on..... many assumptions and *innovations* and *concepts* are made concerning the after existence, in heaven or hell, yet in fact, little is commonplace..... i think, and prefer I mentioned, this could be a *theory* in ordinary terms of my very very own thinking, that confident, human beings would understand they chosen or desperate *incorrect* and could flow *oopsie*, in all hazard somewhat extra desirable than that, yet, there will be extra of a *be apologetic approximately* theory than an *am i able to alter this ? *..... and that i even have self assurance that as quickly as that final *breath of existence* is taken, it relatively is your final hazard to *exchange* your faith or ideals... confident or No !! Jesus or devil ? flow in peace... God bless

Answer 4

It is fairly well established that most christians who claim to be ex-atheists are, in fact, lying. They claim that, as an atheist, they thought or believed things that no atheist would actually think or believe.

Undoubtedly, some atheists have become members of religions... but I expect that this is pretty rare, and such claims should be greeted with skepticism. Once one has achieved sanity, a willing relapse into insanity is unlikely.

Answer 5

Hi. I just wanted to tell you about an atheist I've heard of that converted late in his life, Anthony Flew. He was quite a prominent philosopher. He converted to Deism because he was swayed by the arguments of intelligent design-- that the possibility of human life evolving by chance was vanishingly small.

I think he was very very very wrong accepting this argument, however.

Answer 6

Just the opposite for me. I was Christian for the first fifteen or sixteen years of my life, then I dropped all superstitions.

Answer 7

I'm pretty sure there are one or two around here, but most of them were believers to begin with - they were just mad at their deity for a while.

Answer 8

There have been several notable atheists whom converted on their deathbed. It's too bad it took them that long. They're talked about as the man who defies God his entire life only to embrace God when he faces death and the unknown.

You've made a wise choice.

Answer 9

*crickets chirping*

I know there are a few on here, but I'm not sure you're going to get any answers...

Answer 10

You aren't going to get many answers. Reverse that question and you will get bombarded.