how does one turn atheist?

Question

do you just decide that you are one or is there something you have to do?

Answer 1

You have to be able to think for yourself, and not be influenced by the thoughts, opinions and words of any other people.

You must have a solid foundation of knowledge, and be able to refute ignorance at every step. Not so much a conversion as much as it is an emergence.

Most people I know that have come to the realization that religion is fairy tales are educated people who are capable of independent thought and did nothing other than simply renounce the ideas that the church likes to force feed it's followers.

Answer 2

Maybe if you have a clear definition of the word you may understand and then be able to anwer the question yourself.


Atheism, as a philosophical view, is the position that either affirms the nonexistence of gods[1] or rejects theism.[2] When defined more broadly, atheism is the absence of belief in deities,[3] alternatively called nontheism.[4] Although atheism is often equated with irreligion, some religious philosophies, such as secular theology and some varieties of Theravada Buddhism, also lack belief in a personal god.

Many self-described atheists are skeptical of all supernatural beings and cite a lack of empirical evidence for the existence of deities. Others argue for atheism on philosophical, social or historical grounds. Although many self-described atheists tend toward secular philosophies such as humanism[5] and naturalism,[6] there is no one ideology or set of behaviors to which all atheists adhere.[7]

The term atheism originated as a pejorative epithet applied to any person or belief in conflict with established religion.[8] With the spread of freethought, scientific skepticism, and criticism of religion, the term began to gather a more specific meaning and was sometimes used as a self-description by atheists.

Answer 3

There is no ritual. As my brain developed from early childhood to middle adolescence (15 or 16), I gradually arrived at the conclusion that the existence of gods was highly improbable. I resisted of course, as any good Catholic would, by reading vast amounts of material about the world's religions. What I discovered was that the likelihood of the existence of gods was only slightly higher than the chance that there was an intelligent being behind any of the fantastic, rehashed, man-made drivel that is religion.
At some point I made the decision between being married to god or to reason. I chose reason. If you call me an atheist because of that decision, so be it.

Answer 4

Actually to me it came very gradually, as part of growing up. I don't actually remember when I did not believe in God anymore. I just outgrew it or something. Looking back I'm not sure how serious my belief ever was, it was more of a hope that maybe my religion teacher did have a point, because she could tell it all very nicely. In high school I didn't think about it that much, and looked around somewhat in Pagan religions and Buddhism. But that blew over fast, and when I got to see some proofs of the existence of God by the time I was 16 I found them laughable. That confirmed my disbelief in God, but it didn't cause it.

But this guy explains his thought process very well:
http://www.geocities.com/questioningpage/index.html

Answer 5

When you accept the fact that the idea of God does not resonate with you and you stop beating yourself up by thinking that there is something wrong with you for believing that.

To be an atheist does not mean you lack a belief in a deity but it is an affirmation that you realize and accept that the idea of God is not real.

Answer 6

It would seem that you stop believing in a higher power. that there is no being/god/ God in control. But I'd encourage you to do a little more research. I'm pretty sure that you will feel emypty when you do cross over to atheism. I know there were times when I was atheist, but I found something better. I found God, I realized that He is the one that created me, He exist, and He loves you unconditionally. Just knowing that someone higher than all other beings on the earth or in existence loves me so much that you can't even begin to imagine how great his love is made me change my life and once I did that, I became complete, I stopped searching for the reason I was here, I stopped wondering why people believed in beings that were not even real, and I started believing in God. He can change your life. Whatever it is that you are going through, He will bring you out. God Bless.

Answer 7

Being an atheist is not something you "turn" to.

Atheism, as a philosophical view, is the position that either affirms the nonexistence of gods or rejects theism. When defined more broadly, atheism is the absence of belief in deities (or a God), alternatively called nontheism.

So...it is your non-belief in a God, or deities that socially defines you as an atheist.

Answer 8

I don't recommend it, but in the Free World (United States and a few other countries) you don't have to do anything, it's an issue between you and God. If you don't believe in God, then it's just between you and yourself.

In some places, mainly Muslim countries, you have to go to a court and declare yourself an apostate and have your faith removed from your identity documents. Then you may be subject to the death penalty. In that case, you can claim asylum in any one of many Western democracies.

Answer 9

There is no choosing to not believe. There is no group to join or anything to believe. If you're not a theist then you're an atheist whether you choose to call yourself that or not.

Think about this - were you a theist when you were born? Did you have belief when you were born? Of course not. Then at that time you were like everyone else - an atheist.

Answer 10

Unfortunately, if you don't believe in God you are an atheist. Others would say that you have just let Satan take his foothold on your soul. The more atheists there are on this earth the sooner that the earth is destroyed from individuals that don't want to be accountable for their actions. How sad is it that being an atheist is like a fashion statement anymore. Don't do it man!

I hope that you can come up with some other solution for your troubles on this earth. I will say a prayer for you.