Is it true that someone who was brought up a Christian can *never* become an atheist?

Question

If that's so, how did atheism start? Here's an email I got today:

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From: Marcus J

Subject: Christian upbringing

Message: You said you had a Christian upbringing but lost your faith as a teenager? In that case, you didn't have a true Christian upbringing. No one who is truly raised in the Love of Christ can ever become an atheist.

This is how it works, by the way. If you send me a strange email, I reserve the right to redistribute it.

Answer 1

The only argument I have is that I was a Christian...a Baptist Christian, a Congregationalist Christian, and a Mormon Christian. Now I am an atheist. It can...and does...happen.

@>}----}----

AD

Answer 2

hmmmm
I am so glad I didn't send you that email I was thinking of LOL

Seriously, I don't think that is true.... I think if you lose your faith and change your mind, then you can become an atheist. Or even if you were raised a Christian, but never believed, you can become an atheist.

But as a Christian, I may not be the best person who could answer this question!

Did you email Marcus back and ask him what qualifies a true Christian upbringing, cause I want to make sure I am bringing up my cats as true Christians, and not those "other" kind.

Answer 3

Wow I am guessing Marcus is not an intellectual. If a person brought up in a family who supports Communism and then they support capitalism does that mean their parents weren't REAL communists?

There is no logic in this. It is an arrogant and misguided statement by him. I was raised in a christian home. My parents got a 50% return. 2 children are atheist and 2 are christian. The two who are christians would say they were raised in the love of christ, the two who are atheist would say they are fortunate to see through the myths presented as truths.

Answer 4

That depends on two salient points...

1: What it is to be a Christian, whether in name, or some higher reality. In name it certainly can change, very, very easily.

2: In the case of the "higher" reality, then it would depend on whether or not spiritual things can be altered as material things are, such as in memory loss due to brain damage. Now assuming no change can one see in God, as stated in various scriptures, including Christian, and that God is Spirit and must be worshiped in Spirit.. Then no, one can't cease to be anything directly associated with that, except that their appearance to be separate is a material, and changing phenomenon, and not an innate Spiritual fact.

So to cease being a true Christian is to become a materialist, but material universal qualities are known by the very fact that they fluctuate, so it can't stay that way forever, assuming there is any origin to them aside from that composition of elements, and pulsating energy.

Simply then do you know there is an absolute truth, or do you assume something with no power to stay the same has been self-existent - which is self evidently impossible...? It certainly has a reality, and its own rewards, however fleeting though...

God bless.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, in our Christian society today it is very possible, even likely. Many Churches, large ones are particularly guilty, say something like; "Just pray this prayer with me, and you'll be saved." Or something to that effect. Being a Christian IS being saved, but it's more than just repeating something a pastor says because you want "Fire Insurance." Marcus is partially, and only partially correct. If you were truly repentant, accepted Christ as your savior by faith, and began a relationship with him, by faith, and know Him in your heart of hearts and "know that you know that you know." Then you are a Christian. Praying a prayer, saying basically the same things the pastor led you to say, but from YOUR heart and not his words will bring you salvation, and you'll be a Christian. Nobody is ever saved by the righteousness of their parents, their pastor, or their friends. It's something you must do for yourself, from your own heart.

Answer 6

I suppose much would depend on one's definition of "a Christian upbringing"...
I would say that nobody who ever actually got to know Jesus personally could ever leave Him.
Then, again, there are a great many folks who left Christianity and then came, or were brought, back again.
The Bible does say that we ought to "raise up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it"...
There is no promise in there about teenagers and/or young adults. You can trust me on that...I've made a very thorough search ;-p...I'm a Christian mom and grandma.

Answer 7

Of course many atheists are former Christians. Not only did we have Christian up-bringing, but we tried hard to have "faith." I just could never get the hang of believing something because I was told I should. I figure you have to believe something because you think it's true. Isn't that what believe means? "Faith," on the other hand, is generally defined as belief in the absence of evidence or even in the face of evidence to the contrary. I just can't see how that is justified.

Answer 8

How silly. I was Catholic, then became an atheist for 25 years. There are many reasons that people become agnostics or atheists.

I've since reverted to Catholicism. I had an atheist tell me I must never have been a real atheist.

You see, arrogance is everywhere.

Answer 9

That's like saying that anyone who was brought up a Republican can never become a Democrat, someone brought up a carnivore can never become a vegetarian, a dog person can never turn into a cat person, a Coke lover can never switch to Pepsi, or a PC person can never fall in love with a Mac.

Which of course means that Marcus is absolutely telling the truth.




(not)

;-)

Answer 10

I was brought up in a conservative Christian household into my teenage years.

I became an atheist, and I still get crap over it from the fundamentalist relatives.

So I suppose anyone can become an atheist.

Answer 11

As an ex-Christian atheist, I frequently get told that I "can never have been a "true" or "proper" Christian.

It doesn't look that way from my side, and it didn't feel that way at the time. It's easy to see how the doctrine acts as a reassurance to Christians. I even believed it myself, at the time.

(Though in my case I came to Christianity as an adult, fully aware of what I was doing)