Has anyone become an atheist because they studied a religion?

Question

Scripture, etc., and found it just didn't hold up- even if you thought you were grounded in your faith?

Answer 1

I studied the Bible at an early age(read it front to back 5 times)
and it became obvious that the people preaching the Christian
religion either did not read the entire text or chose to ignore
the glaring contradictions.I later took a course in mythology
that covered most of the worlds religions.The only conclusion
a rational person can come to is that religions are based solely
on fear.People want to believe that there is something better after they die,they want to be forgiven for their misdeeds.The greatest weapon against religion is education,which is why the religious right wants to control what is taught in schools.
The educated mind does not fear the unknown,but embraces it.

Answer 2

Well, sorta but I was an atheist to begin with.

I guess it all started about 20 or so years ago and I had decided that I wanted to know the "truth". Not the truth as my parents saw it, not the truth as my friends saw it and not the truth that the "enlightened" saw it as being. I wanted to see the truth behind it all.

So I did something that not many people have ever done, I studied religion. All religion. My goal was simple, if I found the one religion that truly could explain everything, that didn't have any faults, contradictions or blatant errors I'd look into joining that religion even if it was one of the really fringe religions out there. I'd literally give my soft atheism if I could find the "answer".

I went in with an open mind and not only read the major holy books, but tried to study the history behind them. I made notes, made comparisons between them and there were contradictions between what one said and what another said. It was almost like they were written by a third party that had heard the story from some guy that might have seen it firsthand but probably didn't. In other words, they were all crap.

In the end, no religion really made any sense to me so I walked out a stronger atheist than I was walking in. So you could say that religion made a true atheist out of me.

Answer 3

I've heard of quite a few.
One bloke I know was gonna be a pastor; he felt his faith weakening and asked his pastor for advice.
Read the bible, he was told.
He did so and after he'd finished it for the third or forth time he realised it was a scam.

I was never a believer although I spent many years searching and trying to get this thing about 'god' that more than half the planet believed in.
I actually thought there was something wrong with me at one time.
There was - I was too smart.
At seven when I first realised adults believed in invisible sky thingies I was amazed they were so stupid.

Do I think I'm so smart because I'm an atheist?
Nah; I'm an atheist cos I'm so smart.

Answer 4

I studied several religions and continue to do so, but I don't think anyone bothered to teach me to believe in a religion as a whole.

I don't believe in the supernatural, spiritual, mythical, etc. but some of their moral ideas and concepts are pretty good. Karma's pretty real if you think about it, but depends on the situation.

I am rather disappointed though, that people take these things way too seriously. For example, the WTC. Didn't mean to bring back bad memories, but that's a prime example of religion going way too far.

Answer 5

I think most atheist people have been affiliated with a religion of some sort, but eventually found it too structured and suffocating. Religion restricts certain behaviors that denies personal freedoms, so they flee because they feel they have to answer to no one. Unfortunately for them, religion is the closest thing we have to explaining the human connection and provides spirituality, which in itself is more rewarding then atheism. Rather then accept the spirituality and the belief of connection, they reject religion as a whole because it's too difficult. Have any of you thought that the origin of spiritual religion has been altered through the years and that the true meaning has been hidden for the sake of power and greed. The message behind all religions is very basic and most atheist believe in that message anyway, so why the rejection? Keep thinking the world is real and maybe you'll find yourself in a deep conversation with a wall.

Answer 6

I was raised in the Liberal Protestant tradition. I thought I was becoming an athiest until I came across this definition:

agnostic: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god (Merriam-Webster online)

That's where I am now, and yes, becoming aware that scripture was not what it was purported to be played a part in my change to agnosticism.

Answer 7

No doubt MANY have become an atheist after studying a religion or two , or three.

The problem is that most religions are based on pagan teaching and lies and not Bible truths.
This is the problem , not religion and not God but FALSE RELIGION.

Learning the way we can please God as shown by the Bible and following it with everything that we are , we can be confident of Gods favor and protection during these hard times.

For more Bible based info , without the lies , plz feel free to email me.

Answer 8

There is an author who went to Princeton Theo. Seminary and was very evangelical. After years of study of translations. versions, and errors in the bible, he is an atheist. Bart Ehrman.

Karen Armstrong was a nun and has written many books about variosu religions and how she is an atheist now.

Answer 9

Because I am inconclusive in my thoughts on religion, doesn't necessarily make me agnostic or athiest, or anti-religion for that matter...
Too much much weight is put on those not yet commited to the faith.
We never hear of a religion putting down a theologian just because his field is the study of some or all religions. That's because the title of a Theologian is the same as an "Escape Clause" for not yet committing to one specific religion...

Answer 10

Yeah, that's pretty much what happened to me. But then I found religion. Something that worked for me, seemed to make sense, but wasn't you know.. like God as a Government who regulates everything. That was Taoist. So now I'm a bit of a Taoist Atheist.