Why Do Atheists Return to Theism?

by B_Deserter 145 Replies latest jw friends

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  FlyingHighNow

  FHN, far from being offended, I am actually finding this humorous. It's been 20 years now, but if I change my mind, I'll look you up and see if you need a bible study

  That's cute. You made me smile, too.

  Gopher, I don't know about most atheists, but many or a significant number will drop the non belief. I think a lot of it has to do with how someone arrives at their non belief in the first place and what is currently going on in their lives.

  And the craze I am speaking of is the current trend in threads about atheism or that end up side tracked into the subject, right here on JWD. I am not speaking of atheism as a craze in general. It's just one of the waves here and it will pass. It's prominent now, but won't stay that way. I have noticed most of the time I've been here that people who believe do tend to get jumped on if they are very fundamentalist in their views. But this antheism discussion of the past few months is notably more pronounced.
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  nvrgnbk

  I think a lot of it has to do with how someone arrives at their non belief in the first place

  Very true.

  If it was a calm, rational, painfully honest, and cumulative realization that just wanting God to be real isn't enough to make it so, the lack of belief will likely persist.

  However, if the conclusion was reached due to a series of tragic events or a reversal of fortune in one's personal life, then a positive turn of events might be enough to bring back belief.

  The majority of atheists I know belong to the former group.
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  FlyingHighNow

  If it was a calm, rational, painfully honest, and cumulative realization that just wanting God to be real isn't enough to make it so, the lack of belief will likely persist.

  However, if the conclusion was reached due to a series of tragic events or a reversal of fortune in one's personal life, then a positive turn of events might be enough to bring back belief.

  The majority of atheists I know belong to the former group.

  Andddd there aren't that many atheists in the first place.
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  cognizant dissident

  Are you suggesting that God was a simply Cosmic Sperm Donor or a Deadbeat Deity?

  Nice!
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  nvrgnbk

  Andddd there aren't that many atheists in the first place.

  LOL!

  There are plenty.

  They're just not as vocal or "loud" as you've suggested they are.
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  Gopher

  If it was a calm, rational, painfully honest, and cumulative realization that just wanting God to be real isn't enough to make it so, the lack of belief will likely persist.

  C'mon NVR, quit playing around -- don't you know that atheists are irrational? Most of us will return to the security blanket of theism -- you just watch! Atheism is an irrational response to religion!!!

  Andddd there aren't that many atheists in the first place.

  Huh? There are more atheists in this country than there are JW's (for example). I really don't know what the QUANTITY of atheists has to do with this discussion. But go ahead and try to minimize the impact of atheism. I don't really care.
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  cognizant dissident

  Wow, I thought atheists were about 10% worldwide. According to this website, it is much, much higher in many countries.

  http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_atheist.html

  Cog
• 

  FlyingHighNow

  There are plenty.

  They're just not as vocal or "loud" as you've suggested they are.

  I said they are loud here on JWD in the past few months. When you look at the percentage of atheists compared to non atheists, there aren't so many perecentage-wise.
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  FlyingHighNow

  The source for the link you posted, cog dis, is this:

  Source: Zuckerman, Phil. "Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns", chapter in The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, ed. by Michael Martin, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK (2005).

  * NOTE: The estimates of the number of atheists in North Korea, China and Cuba may be unreliable. The best data available have been used in making these estimates, but the people in these three nations live under Communist governments which have traditionally suppressed religious freedom and officially (often forcibly) endorsed atheism.

  Could be true, might not be true. I'd venture to say these are hopeful estimates on the part of The Cambridge Companion to Atheism.
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  FlyingHighNow

  This link was included on the link for atheist estimates: http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Nonreligious

  According to this chart from that link, which is also an estimate, 8% are estimated to be atheist or agnostic worldwide.