Atheists, do you think it is possible for a true atheist to actually become a believer?

Question

I happen to think those who claim to have once been atheists (as adults) and "Converted" later to become beleovers, were raised in beleif and reverted back to the faith of their birth, or searching for some spiritual enlightenment, But if you are not superstitious, I don't see how you can become superstitious later and lose your critical thinking faculty.

For me, a "True Atheist", suddenly having an epiphany of faith and converting to any of the world's major religions, or beleiving that a "God" exists" and wants me to worship it, could only be imagined as a result of heavy heavy drug use, or a lobotomy.... I cannot imagine a scenario where I could find myself beleiving any silly superstition...

Answer 1

a true atheist™ could revert although it would be like a grown man starting to believe in Santa Claus again

Answer 2

I think that much of the reason many have become atheist is because the state of religions today.
Religions are the reason for many bloody wars and the leaders use religion.
It is used for making massive amounts of money so the leaders can live extremely well while people starve.
It is also used to control people such as using fear to control them into giving money and having different races and woman subservient.

I am not sure how Religion has stayed so popular.
The sad part is... It has made many people turn away from God.
If we were all more spiritual the world would be a better place.

Has the world really given an Atheist any reason to believe?
I think not.

Answer 3

Like Snout, I'm not comfortable with anything that refers to something called a "true" atheist. And anything of that kind is possible. What you're saying though is that these believers who say that they were atheists before they believed probably weren't atheists who were firmly against the existence of any god - they just weren't believers. Remember, for some of them that's what they think an atheist is. It's a dearth of imagination on their part.

Answer 4

actually
after 11 years an Atheist ...
I began to believe in God again due to some personal experiences
I did not go back to the religion I was raised in though
and it has nothing to do with superstition , fear or any doctrine
and I still think of myself as a critical thinker

these type of questions remind me of the Christians who say ... you weren't a true Christian

edit
no drug use or lobotomy here

Answer 5

I think it is possible but extremely unlikely. Religion is very comforting to many people. Some people might be atheists but decide to join a religion for some personal reasons. Some (not many) people change religions as adults. While atheism is not a religion, adults can change from atheism to religion in a similar way that they change from religion A to religion B.

Answer 6

Yes it is possible.Not very likely but certainly possible.Most people that class themselves as atheists have spent enough time pondering the whole "god" thing to have enough information to be too logical to suddenly give up that logic and start a belief in something they have no evidence of.

Answer 7

none of you heard of Malcolm Muggeridge, I see... sad...

Late in his adult life the renowned agnostic Malcolm Muggeridge converted to Christianity through the influence of Mother Teresa (1910-1997). In 1959 he interviewed Mother Teresa, and then ten years later made a television documentary of her life for the BBC. To honor her beatification in October 2003, Muggeridge reviews how Mother Teresa left her very satisfying call as a high school teacher and followed her "call within a call" to love the poorest of the poor in Calcutta. Under her direction, and convinced that every person should be able to die within sight of a loving face, no person was ever refused. Today, the Missionaries of Charity which she founded have houses in almost every country of the world.

Answer 8

I think it is possible. You just have to want to believe, people are willing to set aside logic if it will allow them to be more happy. For example you are about to die you start to think maybe there is a God and a Heaven because the idea of just being dead and then ceasing to exist is frightening you would certainly feel better if you choose to believe that there was a heaven and there you go.

Answer 9

We all ask for evidence.

An atheist may have an experience that he or she considers sufficient evidence, and thus come to believe.

Or are we atheists supposed to close our minds to all evidence that even might seem to point that way and write it off as unexplainable now but explainable some day?

Answer 10

Anything's possible, Porkie. However, the beliefs of a former 'true atheist' would still be as irrelevant as those of your garden variety or lifetime true believer.