I read a question adressed to former Atheists, yesterday and read some comments such as.
"I do not believe anyone who was a normal, rational person can all of a sudden believe in invisible sky fairies. They simply were not true atheists to begin with.
A person can get smarter, it is almost impossible to get more stupid. Unless you have a head injury."
"Head trauma.
That was mean, I know, BUT If you were actually an atheist, not just using that term because you didn't know what you believed or didn't know what to call yourself, then it would be nearly impossible to revert back to theism.
Source(s):
Oh, so your one of THOSE PEOPLE (Who think only the people they want to answer the question should be able to answer it)! You're in for a rude awakening."
"Frontal lobotomy.
It is very difficult for an Atheist with reason who has actually thought about why they are Atheist to convert."
So what is a true Atheist as these people describe?
2007-11-06 23:25:20 · 18 answers · asked by Link strikes back 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
And why is it a negative in these eyes of these people to convert away from Atheism? Why the Dogmatic approach?
2007-11-06 23:26:07 · update #1
A "true" atheist would be one that fits the definition:
One who does not believe in gods.
If someone simply doesn't know what they believe but are open to suggestion and yet call themselves an atheist, they are very unlikely to actually be an atheist.
Please don't assume that we're all stubborn bastards though, the majority would quite happily "renounce" their atheism in light of evidence that gods exist, myself included.
I base my rough conclusions on what we know at the moment. Right now we know that gods have been created by man to explain away all the mysterious elements of the universe. Right now we know that these gods do not exist and that the actions which we claimed they were accountable for are known to be entirely natural mechanisms of the universe. Why should we deny this scrutiny upon all gods rather than those who have simply fallen out of favour with the masses?
2007-11-07 00:06:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is a person who doesn't have any belief in higher powers.
I do believe someone can become a believer again, after he was an atheist for a while. Just because other atheists can't understand it, it doesn't mean it's not real, or that he hit his head. :)
It's obvieus that everyone has a reason to believe whatever he believes, it's allmost impossible to understand everyone. I can't understand people who believe Jesus did magic tricks, when I was a child I was convinced this is just a story that nobody takes serious, however there are people who believe it. They do not offend me by believing it, so why should I care? I am only revolted when other's beliefs are affecting me, or when they say offensive words
2007-11-06 23:29:41 · answer #2 · answered by larissa 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Leaving aside the most of that stuff, a great deal of that attitude has grown from obnoxious people who went through a doubting phase and then told atheists "I once was an atheist.... just like you - but then I (whatever)" even when they clearly were dissimilar to most atheists in every respect.
In short, if you stop believing because "a loving god would not allow such suffering" or something, then it is likely that your reasons for atheism are dissimilar enough to most atheists that it is likely that people recounting this stuff later will perpetuate annoying stereotypes of atheists.
My views on this matter I will keep to myself.
2007-11-06 23:33:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A true atheist doesn't have to think about why they are atheist. They just are. If you don't believe in any deity/higher powers, then you are atheist.
It isn't a way of life, it isn't a belief structure. It is nothing.
The only time I think of myself as atheist is when someone asks me what religion I am. I am not AN atheist, I am atheist.
I find my self a little irratated by those who are religious because the world has been under their thumb for so long.
I just want reason and logic to hold sway for a little while, but they just won't let it!
2007-11-06 23:31:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Atheism to Theism = rational logic to irrational faith.
A rational atheist can't comprehend how such a switch could happen.
2007-11-06 23:32:02 · answer #5 · answered by pluginmaybe 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I -do- know someone who suffered a severe head trauma and went from atheism to religious. Not farfetched but I don't use it as an insult.
A true atheist is simply someone who lacks belief in gods.
Period.
2007-11-06 23:29:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
A true atheist is one that does not bandwagon back and forth. A true atheist is NOT an agnostic. They don't believe in any supernatural Gods or superstition or voodoo or any of that other crap. I am a true atheist. My religion is capitalism, science and philosophy.
2007-11-06 23:32:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
An Atheist does not believe in God, as opposed to someone who simply doesn't know or isn't religious.
I am an Atheist, but I don't see why an Atheist cannot convert (or vice versa)
2007-11-06 23:29:23 · answer #8 · answered by mark 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I think the True Atheist lives out somewhere with the True Scotsman and the True Christian.
2007-11-06 23:31:06 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
A person that doesnt believe in a fake book like a bible?
A book that has been altered many times!
2007-11-06 23:28:42 · answer #10 · answered by Reaper 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋