Did Any Atheist/Agnostic Revert Back to Their Former Beliefs? (page 3)

LisaRose

I wonder if some people were drawn to Athiesm because they had a bad experience with religion or because they had a trauma in their lives that religion didn't help them with, and that is why they have a higher suicide rate? Correlation does not prove causation.

I guess I don't get your reasoning. Either God exists or he doesn't, whether that make you happier or not doesn't change the facts. I do think some people use religion as a sort of crutch, because it provides certainty in an uncertain world. I don't personally have a problem with that, if that works for you in your life and makes you happy, just be honest with yourself, it's not that God is leading you to this, just your own psyche.

I think the Athiesm label has a negative connotation to some people, so maybe that is what is making you uncomfortable. There are some Athiest that are critical and negative, and they tend to be the most vocal, so I don't often tell people I am one (unless I can explain it to them), because I do think it gives them a the wrong impression of me. I have been reading up on humanism, I think it is probably a better description of what I believe.

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

galaxie

Some people return to nicotine, other drugs or alcohol after ' giving up ', probably because they cant fill the void in their life patterns that such things once satisfied

Could there be parallels with those who have become atheistic and find a void they cant satisfy and find comfort in their former life choices?

If so they are only returning to a false comfort as those people I have referred to.

In my humble opinion of course.

The Scotsman

I think alot of WT leavers go through a very similar experience.

I have never been an atheist and never will be but it is a huge adjustment after WT garbo for years.

I am quite content not to go to church but feel I am still a fairly spiritual person - perhaps someday I will need to go to a group of some kind.

The Scotsman

"My disbelief in magic and gods is based on a logical conclusion that there is no evidence of any such phenomemon"

"no" evidence? What - none at all? Are you sure?

You should broaden your mind.. it is there - you just need to find it...

punkofnice

Belief in god is very comforting so I get why there are those that do it. If you can carry it off then all well and good.

Although reality is a vile thought, I prefer it to false hope.

James Brown

I quit the Watchtower in 83.

Since then I read and gather information as much as I can.

I try not to label myself one way or the other.

Intellectually, I lean toward the atheistist.

Emotionally, I lean toward belief in God. But not the wathctower God.

That's not even true. I am like a teter toter. I am like a scale.

When I add up all the evidence. The scales are evenly balanced.

I cant decide.

I don't want to decide.

I am fearful what I may find.

I don't even know how to decide.

I think about making a matrix and evaluating the evidence and then scoring it.

I have my doubts, the more I know, that that would work.

What ever I consider putting pro God.

The atheist come up with a counter argument to cancel it out.

And vice versa, if I were to put something pro atheist.

I've been told to keep intelect over emotion.

and then you will find the answer.

Intelect over emotion tells me there is no God.

Let me restate and clarify. There is not the biblical God.

I cant even say that. I don't have enough reliable information.

And the devil, literally or figurtively is always in the details.

I am certain that the Jehovahs witnesses are not and do not have the truth.

I have no doubt about that. There is plenty of evidence to take them out of the contest.

suavojr

Nice one James Brown

redvip2000

My disbelief in magic and gods is based on a logical conclusion that there is no evidence of any such phenomemon. The more I learn about the natural world the universe the more it would seem the god is only a construct of the human mind. Give me the evidence and I will follow it.

Same here and in reality the fact that most atheists don't go back to believing in god is very telling. It's progress, in the same way that we don't go back to believing that the earth is the center of the universe. The belief in the non-existence of God, or at the very minimum the god of the bible, is supported by logic and evidence (or lack of), and this makes a solid position which you usually cannot regress from.

I know that personally in order for me to believe in God again, i would need clear evidence that he exists - this is reasonable to expect, and we all know that is not going to happen.

jgnat

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kurelek

jgnat

Bob Dylan is an interesting study. He was raised in a Jewish household, converted to Christianity, and later dismissed the "conversion". He's obviously a born iconoclast.

"I've never said I'm born again. That's just a media term. I don't think I've been an agnostic. I've always thought there's a superior power, that this is not the real world and that there's a world to come." In response to Loder's asking whether he belonged to any church or synagogue, Dylan laughingly replied, "Not really. Uh, the Church of the Poison Mind." [ 351 ]

Did Any Atheist/Agnostic Revert Back to Their Former Beliefs?

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