Why do people become atheists?

Why do people become atheists?

Reasons

http://www.abarnett.demon.co.uk/atheism/why_become.html

Interesting, it doesn´t mean they are bad people because they don´t beleive in God.


Come and discuss what you think of this.

I find this a fascinating article. I identify as Athiest, and one of the points I've always made when talking to others - is that through all the religions in the world - each believes that "THEIR" "God/Diety" is the "One True God/Diety" - since there are so many - how can everybody be right? Just who IS right? Ask a person from each different belief system and they will say that THEY are right. Its too confusing.

:roll: Saying you're born an atheist is like saying you're born in money or married into money. This is so goofy, which is why even atheists have a holiday, which is April 1st: April FOOLS Day.

That's the kind of behavior that MAKES people become atheists--when they see that from Christians. Sorry, but I calls 'em like I sees 'em.

Some people don't like the idea that a God controls what goes on day to day, etc...because if we're made in the image of God and have the power to move mountains and we make the decisions in our lives, we are actually manifesting what we create ourselves right?

And others believe that we all are gods in a smaller way, because we are.

There is a Creator that's above God too.

I believe children are born neutral on a lot of topics such as God, racial bias, etc. I was taught to be atheist by my parents, just as many people are raised in a religion. That, frankly, is how most of us develop any opinions or thoughts in early life - we have them taught to us. Later we internalize them or we reject them as we are exposed to other ideas. I ultimately rejected atheism, but I don't reject much of what I learned about the need for religious freedom and tolerance that was part of my upbringing. Many people grow-up to reject all or much of the religious teachings they are raised with, in part because God consciousness is such a personal thing that each person kind of has to find thier own way with it. I feel if formal religions were more accepting of individual experience, and a little less rigid, people would be more apt to hang with the religion they grew-up in. Churches kind of do it to themselves.

Well, I've always been non religous since birth. I just believe in god, nothing more. I'm more into spiritual beliefs.

Don't forget there is Secular Humanist which I am one.

http://www.secularhumanism.org/

and what's is Secular Humanism?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism

For those of you who believe 100% in God, I challenge you this - every single religion believes that "Their God" is the "One True God".

HOW can everybody be right? If they are raised to truly, deeply believe this - indoctrination, doesn't that mean that only the believers of ONE religion (whatever the "real" religion turns out to be) will go to Heaven, and everybody else will go to Hell? (or the religious equivalents thereof.)

Remember, Christianity is NOT the only popular religion in the world, and not the most popular SINGLE religion. Christianity is broken into many subsets (Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Anglicians, etc which make up 2 billion people.) The distinction of the largest single religion are the 1+ billion followers of Islam. In addition, almost a billion follow Hinduism, and half a billion each follow Buddhism and Sikhism, and there are more than 1.5 billion athiests, and another 1.5 billion that follow other various belief systems.

So WHO is right, and who DECIDES who is right???

Thanks for that link. It's a nice page. I didn't choose to be an atheist, I had to because I valued consistency with reality. That meant removing what was extraeous to explaining life and the universe. All of those religions out there contradicit each other and claim that they're the right one and claim things that don't mesh well with the nature of the world I see.

neecy said:

For those of you who believe 100% in God, I challenge you this - every single religion believes that "Their God" is the "One True God".

HOW can everybody be right? If they are raised to truly, deeply believe this - indoctrination, doesn't that mean that only the believers of ONE religion (whatever the "real" religion turns out to be) will go to Heaven, and everybody else will go to Hell? (or the religious equivalents thereof.)

Remember, Christianity is NOT the only popular religion in the world, and not the most popular SINGLE religion. Christianity is broken into many subsets (Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Anglicians, etc which make up 2 billion people.) The distinction of the largest single religion are the 1+ billion followers of Islam. In addition, almost a billion follow Hinduism, and half a billion each follow Buddhism and Sikhism, and there are more than 1.5 billion athiests, and another 1.5 billion that follow other various belief systems.

So WHO is right, and who DECIDES who is right???

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Well, there's only ONE Jesus Christ who is God. He don't know other gods like other foreign countries worship their idols/ or an image. And, of course - there's NO such a " religion "... to be frank. Jesus Christ Himself is NOT a religion. He is just God.

Well, there's only ONE Jesus Christ who is God. He don't know other gods like other foreign countries worship their idols/ or an image. And, of course - there's NO such a " religion "... to be frank. Jesus Christ Himself is NOT a religion. He is just God.

Click to expand...

There's only ONE Buddha who acheived Nirvana! There's only ONE Krishna. There's only ONE of whatever there is. It does not make it true. Get real.

For me, nothing happened to cause me to not believe in God.

Basically, I just found it pointless to have faith in God due to lack of evidence that he actually exists.

vamp and netrox,

I think you made good points, BUT
I am NOT very good at debating this

NOTE: I did NOT believe in God at all until something
happened to me (long story here which may be
pointless/useless anyway) changing everything

that was a very good page, thanks for the link.


my favorite part was "babies are born atheists, and what religion you choose is often based on geography and what religion your parents are...aren't you lucky to have been born in the country that worships the ONE true god?" lol that made me gigle.


im an atheist as well. seeing the christians here trying to convert the atheists is funny...why dont all you christians join the atheism movement...you dont need god, science answers your questions. you live your life without fear of hell...you can actually live your "christian" life and still not go to hell, its a wonderful thing! (this was in jest...see how silly it is to try and change someones beliefs?)

CyberRed said:

The only problem is that they ( atheists ) don't want to TRY God themselves with all their hearts, not through all their heads to think of challengin' against Christians

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Lots of practicing Christians don't try God with all their hearts either. It is hard to live life exactly by what you say you believe. I don't worry too much about what other people "believe" in terms of a specific god. God can work through believers and non-believers alike. My concern is living up to what I claim to believe myself.

neecy said:

For those of you who believe 100% in God, I challenge you this - every single religion believes that "Their God" is the "One True God".

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Judaism, Christianity and Islam all recognize the same "One True God" - the God who spoke to Abraham. Hinduism recognizes Krishna, but also several other dieties. Buddhism does not recognize the Buddha as a diety - simply an enlightened but mortal man, and because of this, is sometimes considered a "philosophy" rather than a "religion".

neecy said:

HOW can everybody be right? ".

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Many people will tell you different relgions can't coexist. I don't. I personally believe that if there is ONE God only, that what you call him is not particularly important - if you are worshipping "a god", you are worshipping "the God". That's my personal interpretation. I could be wrong.

neecy said:

Remember, Christianity is NOT...the most popular SINGLE religion. Christianity is broken into many subsets (Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Anglicians, etc which make up 2 billion people.)

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Christianity is ONE Religion - the subsects are still all part of the same religion, and it is the single most popular religion in the world, with Catholics as the most popular subsect of Christians. There are also many subsects of Islam, Judaism, Hinduism (plus several spin-offs of Hinduism). I don't see you calling each of those out as a separate religion.

neecy said:

So WHO is right, and who DECIDES who is right???

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Honestly, my beliefs aside, only God actually "knows" who was right or wrong in the end. The rest of us just have to go by what rings true for us as individuals. Though I personally practice Christianity, I recognize the validity of many people's experiences with God regardless of specific religion.

Simple common sense. All available evidence clearly demonstrates that life on this planet originated through a sequence of natural processes. There is not one shred of evidence to support the notion that we were created by an unseen entity. So why believe it? Occam’s Razor suggests that if there are two conflicting explanations for a phenomenon, then the simplest explanation is the one most likely to be true. The universe and everything in it may very well have been created by God or Allah or Brahman or the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but it is not a very likely explanation.

As my ex0perience in my life as a christian is a reality. Its nothing religion about it, its a living. True, christians can't make others to believe, God left them a choice either receive it or reject it. Yes, there is Buddhist, Hindu, Kirakrishna, islam and etc, but all are still in the grave. But Christ is alive and even some scientist has the proof, but many people rather choose other scientist to pervert it to lead others astray. Its not something out there itself lead me to believe, its inside of me till I'm in the 20s, when I received Christ, its a life changing, but later I face challenges and yes, sometimes fail, but as I see people think there is no God bec of this, but many like me, see different way. Amazingly, many other religion quoted Jesus messages. For example, hindu, quote "who shall give them light, who shall feed them" etc, then the person who establish hindu ( can't spell the person name), saying He called me, I'm the way the truth and the life. I'm the light, that's what lead people been lead to. Buddhist is awesome teaching and even he quoted Jesus message. Islamic is generation of babylon. And etc. Religion isn't the issue, the point is salvation. Now, like catholic, orhtodox, different christian denomination, all believe Christ has risen, but as of teaching of creed or rules, are different, but worship same Risen Lord. I can't say particular church name is going to heaven and other isn't, only hope for those who have Christ in them, not what they do. Religion isn't the answer. As after Jesus was risen, two guys heading home, discourage thought its done,"noone will defeat roman power" Jesus is with them and ask why u r down? They explained what happen in jerusalem. As Jesus said, oh u little faith, have u read the old, about the salvation? Bec in the old testament several times explain about the messiah, many jews blinded by it, but one is nicodemus percieved that message. Bec nicodemous seeing what Happen to Jesus and also what Jesus doing etc matched exactly what the old testament described. Remember, its like a treasure, you can't tell the different of the stone if its real gold or not, looks the same, all other religion is like fake gold bec looks real, but Jesus is like a real gold. Again, it not just religion, it a living and hollow inside been filled and which no other religion has as they described and said they don't have that like christians has. Its giving grace to ALL mankinds, but people made a choice, tho still alive, still waiting, I share the persons, but God does the work. That's all to it.