Testimonies Of Atheists Who Converted To Religion

[♦ ficino ♦]

I suddenly wondered, is there an Ex-Atheist.net out there?  Googling ex-atheist brought up some links, most interesting of which is this:

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1nu1kd/exatheists_of_reddit_why_did_you_change_your/

 

On this thread, various people talk about having had no religious belief and then adopting one.  At least one guy talks about having definitively rejected Christianity after reading Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason, and years later becoming attracted to Islam -- which he thinks corrects some of the errors of Christianity (note:  he met a muslim girl, but...)  

 

Just eyeballing the reasons given, I'd sum them up as:

 

empty life, needed meaning

a psychological or life crisis, religion provided answers

the "love" aspect of religion was attractive

an event that seemed to be a miracle (combined w/ one or more of above factors)

 

The guy who was attracted to Islam seems to be the one who gave it the most study.  He thinks it's consistent with what he knows of science.  Someone attracted to Buddhism thought generally that it enhanced life.  The "it makes my life richer" thing is common, actually.  I don't see many who became Fundies w/ full-blown hell doctrines and all. 

 

Any similar experiences of anyone on our board?  

 

I'm trying to avoid the No True Scotsman thing.  I do find that few of these people had gone into what I consider to be much depth.  

[Ralet]

When i started doubting i searched for ex-atheist stories to find out how people that weren't brought up as christians found their way to god. I wanted to know if there is another reason to believe, besides being introduced to the faith by somebody else. What I found was disappointing. Most stories had to do with a love interest or people that got helped by religious people in a difficult situation. So i think most reasons are being influenced or a major life event (illness,death of a family member,...) that make people convert to a religion. Also many members of my old church (and the youth group) were outsiders and not successful in the "real world" with few social contacts, so the wish to be part of a group, being appreciated and loved was their reason to join.

 

While i was looking for this ex-atheist stories, i found ex-christian stories (which were much more interesting), evid3nc3' videos and ended up here in this forum

[milesaway]

I know there's the whole saga of Leah Libresco converting to the Catholic church. There was quite the stir among some of the other atheist bloggers (and their readers) on Patheos. I was rather surprised to read about it, considering she also identifies as LGBT. Although looking at her other posts up to that point, there were signs of things to come, as she'd been flirting with religion for awhile. She did have a boyfriend who was Catholic, and I have a feeling that was part of it.

 

Conversions to religion are often out of some form of vulnerability. Throw in some degree of poor critical thinking skills, and you're a snake oil huckster's dream come true. On the other hand, if someone's in a bad place, their critical thinking skills probably won't be at what they are normally. Add the love bombing from a potential church's congregation, and it's easy to see why people convert.

[♦ ficino ♦]

I cannot fathom going back to Christianity, knowing what I know about the Bible.  many of these self-described atheists don't seem to have been "ex-Christians" in the way most people here are so.  (Not that all here are atheists, of course.)  I think either they aren't aware of a lot of stuff or else they didn't or don't buy into all the doctrines of the usual Christian orthodoxy.

[buffettphan]

I think conversions to religion (particularly christianity and islam) are for emotional reasons -- primarily fear, insecurity, and vulnerability.  I also think that for a certain percentage of people, it's about an intense need to feel they are "special" to the most omni-everything being imaginable (imaginable being the key word!) and a desire to convince others of their specialness.  To those people, it's a powerful orgasmic ego-trip and one they will continue to ride because it serves them well.    This second group of religionists exploits the first group.

[amateur]

I can't imagine many people's lives are one sensible, logical, thought-out path that leads perfectly from Point A (birth) to Point B (death).  I'd imagine most people stray all over the place, bumping into dead ends, and occasionally getting lost.

 

That describes my life anyway.

 

Coming from a largely agnostic family, I can attest that nobody was "strictly" agnostic.  Depending on when you talked to them, and what current circumstances were, you would sometimes be surprised by what they said, in various ways.

[florduh]

What kind of atheist? One who just never thought much about religion or one who actually studied religious texts and doctrines and thought about it?

 

What kind of believer? One who just does it to please a spouse, one who has hit rock bottom and is vulnerable, or one who is gung ho and ready to blow himself up or picket gay weddings?

 

I venture to say that nobody seriously adopts and practices Christianity or Islam (at least in a serious, devout manner) if they first study it dispassionately. Such religions are dependent on emotional turmoil and suspension of disbelief and the rational thinking process. The "intellectual" arguments are devised after someone falls for the religion and an emotional decision needs to be justified.

[Vigile]

The 'no true Scotsman' fallacy is often raised with this issue, but I submit it's not applicable  Can one go to medical school, become a doctor only to revert to someone so ignorant of medicine he embraces the arts of a witch doctor? 

[florduh]

The 'no true Scotsman' fallacy is often raised with this issue, but I submit it's not applicable  Can one go to medical school, become a doctor only to revert to someone so ignorant of medicine he embraces the arts of a witch doctor? 

Deepak Chopra.

[Vigile]

 

The 'no true Scotsman' fallacy is often raised with this issue, but I submit it's not applicable  Can one go to medical school, become a doctor only to revert to someone so ignorant of medicine he embraces the arts of a witch doctor? 

Deepak Chopra.

 

 

He went to medical school, but did he just carry the baggage of his former beliefs with him as he went?  I think I mentioned before a MD here in Russia I met.  He works in a hospital with other real MDs, but he specializes entirely in Eastern medicine.  I don't know how he got his MD (I seriously doubt he would in the US, just as I doubt Chopra would), but he doesn't believe in medical science and I doubt he ever has. 

[midniterider]

I cannot fathom going back to Christianity, knowing what I know about the Bible.  many of these self-described atheists don't seem to have been "ex-Christians" in the way most people here are so.  (Not that all here are atheists, of course.)  I think either they aren't aware of a lot of stuff or else they didn't or don't buy into all the doctrines of the usual Christian orthodoxy.

 

Once you extricate yourself from Christianity I don't know why you would want to go back. Unless you had zero social life or something.

 

If you aren't aware of the negativity of Christianity by having lived it then you might jump into because it sounds fun.

[MathGeek]

As one of those inconsistent knuckleheads myself, I can attest that a loss of job and the birth my daughter almost fully forced me back into the Christian fold. I went to bible study, attended Mass and even baptized my daughter Catholic, but the indoctrination didn't stick.