Why are so many atheists also ex-catholics?

Question

More than anything, I have see more atheists and pagans that are ex-catholics as opposed to any other denomination in the Christian church. I am not against the Catholic church in any way, but I find this a little puzzling. Why do you suppose this is the case? Is there really a correlation between the two? What's going on?

Answer 1

I don't know they all read the same bible and believe in the same God so either way it doesn't matter to me....I was Pentecostal.

Answer 2

I too am curious about this very same thing. As an exCatholic, I have many in my life who belong to the most legalistic religion, yet are the most liberal; its a contradiciton. For those who have left and become pagan or atheist, I honestly believe that the Catholic church doesnt encourage self study, they do not encourage family bible time. They are the epitome of show up at church one day a week for an hour say a bunch of canned prayers, dip your hand in holy water, dont forget to genuflect and all is good. I suspect these people never really got a good opportunity to really know God in this type of setting and because of that, it was easier to leave and follow their own thing.

Answer 3

I think it's just due to the numbers. Half of the world's Christians are Catholics. There are one billion Catholics. The other billion Christians are divided into many different sects. The odds of finding ex-Catholics is much higher than any other Christian group due to this. If I drew circles on the back of a playing card, I would have a fifty-fifty chance it would be on a red card, a diamond or heart. The odds would be lower for it to specifically be an Ace.

Answer 4

Here's my thought. I think the Catholic church is spiritually abusive, so people who leave often overreact. The doctrines are designed to generate fear of leaving, and fear of not "getting with the program". People resent this, and unfortunately, they blame God. I have observed that ex-Catholics often rabidly hate the Catholic church. So I have pretty much observed the same thing. I think people instinctively know God is love, and that He died and paid the total price for our sins, so when the Catholic church misrepresents Him by saying we have to contribute to our salvation in some way, they are calling Him a liar when He said, "It is finished." What was finished? Our salvation! Nothing to add. Nothing we CAN add. I also think it is blasphemy, which says that we are trying to do something it's God's prerogative to do, and something only God CAN do. People who blaspheme have already rejected the true God. So people get a false picture of God, and it's not someone they can like, so they rebel completely. Hey, why would a loving God force people to endure agony in purgatory for awhile? If you were a loving father, would you demand that your child put his hand in a flame because he had been bad? Neither would God. If God truly loves us, He will take on all the liability for our sins. And He did!!! So people who were raised Catholic really experience cognitive dissonance, and some of them can't handle it. They have to completely turn their backs on it, and reject the truth with the garbage. That's my take on it, anyway.

Yes, I find the Catholic church at fault for this, and they mislead people by teaching other things that are true. A half truth is far more dangerous than an outright lie.

I have Catholic friends, and we simply agree to disagree. I even work with them on some things. But when they try to convert me, I explain why, as politely as I can, using Scripture, why I don't agree, and then tell them it's better not to discuss it. It gives me a chance to tell them why the Catholic church is wrong, without causing an undue rift in our relationship.

Answer 5

Poor education is what I think drives people from anything, especially Catholicism.

Yes, Mass can get a little repetitive, but if you know the meaning behind it, the beauty, the sacrifice, if you can see how the Mass is very very scriptural (just for example, one of our 'meaningless' prayers is 'Lord I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed' which is directly from Scripture when the Centurion was speaking to Christ).

Family prayer, bible study, etc, all those are accepted AND encouraged. One just has to know their stuff, because its easy to come up with your own ideas (hmmm, that happens quite often doesn't it?), which is why we have Magisterium (hierarchy) of the Church to keep us from falling astray, like a parent teaching a child to walk.

Answer 6

Look at the headlines in the last ten years about all the horrific law suits and why they are being sued. Would you want to be identified with that?
They have been taught all their life the Roman Catholic Church is the only way to salvation, then all of a sudden, their priest are exposed of many crimes and money paid out to keep it quiet, priest moved from town to town instead of kicking them out on their rumps.
I would feel disgruntled as well. But, there is no excuse for quitting on God.

Answer 7

I think You have touched on an "End Time" issue.
I am not of the Catholic Denomination;But my Dr.was He retired;best Md. I think there is a falling away in all denominations; Form and Rictual will not carry You or I thru the coming events on the Earth, It will be Faith from the Heart of Individuals;
To answer Your question ; I don"t Know;

Answer 8

For my "two bits", here it is: the West has a tradition of deep thinkers who are allowed to express their ideas to the full and therefore the religious stuff is easily shot full of wholes. As for the "splinter groups" (of protestants -whose enrollment is also in quite a decline - and the myriad groups which they include) are already protesting various ways of the Church, either going for the Old Testament, or dropping all sacred pictures and idols, going for more "fundamental stuff. So either it's total disenchantment (following the Enlightenment) or relatively small groups of "right wingers".

Answer 9

The catholics are a deceived people. They do not worship the God of this universe in the way that He commands -IN THE SPIRIT AND WITH JESUS ALONE AS MEDIATOR.

They rather worship and adore and pray to mere flesh such as Mary and certain saints, and bow to idols and statues. Their religion is a hodgepodge of pagan religions. The Book of Revelation identifies catholicism as "Mystery Babylon" because they worship the same gods as ancient Babylon did. For example, Christmas is in reality "Mithras." Do a Goooogle on it sometimes.

Anyway there is not a lot of difference between a catholic and an atheist. Neither of them worships the TRUE LIVING GOD. The popes make themselves out to be God AND THEY ARE NOT!

Answer 10

Because so many people are catholics in the first place. More than half of the christians. In my country (protestant Sweden), for sure almost every atheist (and they are very, very many in Sweden!) and pagan is an ex-protestant.

Answer 11

Believe it or not, the Catholics are actually less pushy, and more accepting of choosing another religion (or lack thereof), than the Protestants are. They don't throw as much of a fit. Its amazing what pressure from those around a person can accomplish.