Why Do People Become Atheists?

[Addy]

I think Atheists generally tend to consider Christians dumb for their beliefs. And their IQs may actually be higher than the thiests on average.

I believe you are correct... Yesterday I was going to make that statement about intelligence... but thought it might be perceived as inappropriate.

I think highly intelligent people... tend to have a more difficult time with matters of spirituality... I am thinking of the Sheldon-type of people... the ones who are all math and science... It's a blanket statement... however... I have seen people of superior intelligence grapple with Christian concepts that I have simply accepted without the need of "proof".

I also agree with your assessment of knowledge not being equivalent to wisdom... The two are distinctly different.

However... God seems to have a way of touching the hardest of hearts.

 

[saintiaint]

Another possible reason for atheism may originate from bad experiences with a religion. A person might grow up with or convert to a religious faith which they eventually find to be oppressive, hypocritical, evil, or otherwise unworthy of following.

I suspect this would be a very common reason.
A Christian upbringing that was too strict, dogmatic or fear mongering might create rebellion in some later on.

 

[kcnalp]

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NKJV)
3 If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

 

[April_Rose]

Btw, I'm not sure if it was mentioned in this thread or another thread but for the record I don't find science evil and I'm a Christian. I believe that there's a lot of science in the creation of the universe actually since in the first chapter of the Bible it talks about God speaking the universe into existence, but it doesn't say that a big bang occurred shortly afterwards. :)

 

[Ronald Nolette]

There are perhaps as many reasons for being an atheist as there are atheists. What I mean by this is that the road to atheism tends to be very personal and individual, based upon the specific circumstances of a person’s life, experiences, and attitudes.

One common reason for atheism is contact with a variety of religions. It isn’t unusual for an atheist to have been raised in a religious household and to have grown up living with the assumption that their religious tradition represented the One True Faith

Another possible reason for atheism may originate from bad experiences with a religion. A person might grow up with or convert to a religious faith which they eventually find to be oppressive, hypocritical, evil, or otherwise unworthy of following.

Many atheists find their way to disbelief through science. Over the centuries science has come to offer explanations of aspects of our word which were once the exclusive domain of religion.

Well if one is truly athiest, god calls them a fool! and that is a very very harsh word in Hebrew! Based on Scripture and years of counseling, I would venture that most athiests are actually agnostic.

 

[April_Rose]

Well if one is truly athiest, god calls them a fool! and that is a very very harsh word in Hebrew! Based on Scripture and years of counseling, I would venture that most athiests are actually agnostic.

I'm a Christian and I'm still called a fool every year on April first. On the shame.

 

[Tone]

I'm a Christian and I'm still called a fool every year on April first. On the shame.

Please...be nice to yourself...

...thanks...

 

[April_Rose]

Please...be nice to yourself...

...thanks...

Oh yeah? They don't call it Tone or Tony Fools.

 

[Tone]

Oh yeah? They don't call it Tone or Tony Fools.

Why do people say Tony, when it's clearly Tone...?

Also, I blame your parents...

 

[April_Rose]

Idk, I sort thought that it was short for Tony.

 

[Tone]

Idk, I sort thought that it was short for Tony.

Well, my middle name is Anthony, but Tone is more to do with sound...!

 

[April_Rose]

Well, my middle name is Anthony, but Tone is more to do with sound...!

Sounds good to me. :)

 

[Tone]

Sounds good to me. :)

As it should...

 

[Brakelite]

This is a gem of a topic... an important topic...

In my two month hiatus from these forums... the Ravi Zacharias scandal exploded... for me... this was almost like a JFK moment... This man... over the years... had become part of my family... His sermons would come on my Christian radio and I would listen to him daily. I remember thinking how gifted he was... how wise he was... and I marvelled at how he made it all look so easy. What could have/should have been a stunning testimony for the CAUSE of CHRIST.... is now totally null and void.

This is something I can't seem to STOP thinking about. It has disturbed me to the core... and grieved my heart in such a way that I don't ever remember feeling before. The actions of one person... has rippled onto the entire Christian community. The damage done has been irreparable. A ministry that took 40 years to build... destroyed in one day. I can't seem to wrap my brain around the ruins left behind.

One of the ways I found solace... was to get in touch with the man who is largely responsible for the unveiling of TRUTH regarding this scandal. I truly felt the need to THANK him for being bold enough and brave enough to expose the truth.
He is an atheist... the most peculiar atheist I have ever encountered... due to the fact that he truly does not seem to have any animosity towards Christians... but he has a problem with false credentials in religious circles... and that is where this scandal all began... by one person ( who happens to be a lawyer ) discovering that Mr. Zacharias did not actually hold all the degrees and accreditations he claimed to have. The rest of the scandal ( the sexual part ) was discovered by a third party investigation performed by a company that Mr. Zacharias' ministry hired... after his death.

I shared several exchanges with this person... who was kind enough to address my very broken heart in a compassionate way... but also.. I think he was surprised to receive a thank you from a Christian. His experience in all this has been harshness... denial... accusations... and all around discrediting of his findings... due to being an ATHEIST. His very words were that he is now very CAUTIOUS of believing what Christian leaders have to say.

I think that part of the reason there are so many atheists is the deep disappointment in how Christians are behaving. The example being shown to the world is NOT very appealing... In many circles... there is absolutely no difference between the Christian life and the secular world.
We have watered down the gospel... to the point where some preachers are telling us that God desires us to be wealthy... absolutely healthy... that we have no need to SUFFER... and that actually suffering is a sign of sin and weakness. The North American ( US and Canada ) version of Christianity is appalling... and has nothing to do with God.

I have seen the example of a person who truly has reflected the GOSPEL in their lives until the time of their death... NO scandals.. no investigations... simply a humble existence... a life filled with challenges... adversity... mixed in with seasons of great victory... and a finished race till the end... the effects of this kind of living... where one picks up their CROSS and follows HIM... is one that we do not see often talked about... but it is possible... and it does touch many lives.

We are called to make people jealous... with our love... our peace and our joy. I know for myself.. there are not many examples I ADMIRE... not that it matters... but it is none the less how I feel. I can't imagine the non believing world has any different of a perspective towards Christianity.

I am surprised at the silence within Christian circles regarding this scandal. I didn't know about this until a couple of weeks ago, and there's only a passing mention of it in the forums. The message I think we all need to learn in this is don't trust man. However, I dunt think it makes everything he did null and void. Good I believe would have used him, even in his less than ideal moral condition, to bring people to Christ and open pathways of enquiry. Whether he himself will partake of the final Resurrection is not for us to discuss, but let none of us pretend that what he did in his private life was in any way acceptable.

 

[Addy]

I am surprised at the silence within Christian circles regarding this scandal. I didn't know about this until a couple of weeks ago, and there's only a passing mention of it in the forums. The message I think we all need to learn in this is don't trust man. However, I dunt think it makes everything he did null and void.

I think the "silence" you are perceiving is shock and the deepest of grief mixed in with disbelief and shame for not believing Lori Ann Thompson several years ago. This is a scandal like no other...

His entire legacy is gone... NOTHING he has spoken is true... because of his deception. He had time to repent on his death bed... and he chose to bring his sin to his death... leaving his ministry to suffer the fall-out alone = COWARD

 

[Brakelite]

I seriously wonder if people become atheists after learning from Christians they willingly worship and rejoice in a God who delights in tormenting sinners all eternity.

If an atheist informs me that they don't believe in such a God, I would respond by informing him that I don't believe in that God either. And then proceed to enquire as to what kind of God would they believe in?

 

[Brakelite]

I think the "silence" you are perceiving is shock and the deepest of grief mixed in with disbelief and shame for not believing Lori Ann Thompson several years ago. This is a scandal like no other...

His entire legacy is gone... NOTHING he has spoken is true... because of his deception. He had time to repent on his death bed... and he chose to bring his sin to his death... leaving his ministry to suffer the fall-out alone = COWARD

This is the first time I have read anything of the details. I have no idea who that woman is nor her accusations nor the context surrounding the revelations. How do you know he didn't confess?

 

[Addy]

This is the first time I have read anything of the details. I have no idea who that woman is nor her accusations nor the context surrounding the revelations. How do you know he didn't confess?

The scandal began with Ravi using false credentials... He claimed to have degrees and positions within various universities which he DID NOT HAVE. A lawyer ( which I will not name here ) is responsible for discovering this deception. That lawyer happens to be an atheist... he was brushed off and brushed off by RZIM ( Ravi's ministry ). All his claims were brushed under the carpet. This claim was made in around 2015

The charge against Ravi by Lori Ann Thompson came out in 2017 ( I believe... don't quote me on that )...the charges were sexually related. Once again RZIM denied... and brushed off the charges... Ravi even sued her... and publicly stated she was out for money. As it turned out... her claims were ALL TRUE.... and that is just the beginning of his sins... There were numerous offences carried out ... and numerous victims.

How do I know he didn't confess?... BECAUSE he left one heck of a mess for his ministry to clean up. He could have bore the brunt of things but chose to remain silent about his behaviour.

What he did or did not do on his DEATH bed is between him and God... I am not saying he is going to hell... I am saying he did GREAT and SEVERE damage to the world of Christianity.