Theists: what do you think movitates atheists?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

In another thread, the idea was brought up that many theists believe that atheists are atheists because they're angry with God.

Theists: do you agree with this? Why do you think atheists are atheists?

What do you think causes a person to abandon their theistic belief system and become an atheist?

What do you think motivates a person to never adopt a theistic belief system in the first place?

 

[Brian2]

In another thread, the idea was brought up that many theists believe that atheists are atheists because they're angry with God.

Theists: do you agree with this? Why do you think atheists are atheists?

What do you think causes a person to abandon their theistic belief system and become an atheist?

What do you think motivates a person to never adopt a theistic belief system in the first place?

Probably many reasons, depending on the person.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

In another thread, the idea was brought up that many theists believe that atheists are atheists because they're angry with God.

Theists: do you agree with this? Why do you think atheists are atheists?

What do you think causes a person to abandon their theistic belief system and become an atheist?

What do you think motivates a person to never adopt a theistic belief system in the first place?

I do not know what motivates people to do much of what they do on a subjective level, but I do admit that I have never been angry at something I did not think existed.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Probably many reasons, depending on the person.

For example?

 

[sun rise]

Probably many reasons, depending on the person.

I was an atheist because God was not interesting - worth my time thinking about. So that was my reason back in the day.

Others I've seen are searching for truth and don't find any reason to believe in God.

As to being angry: I've read or heard that theists have been angry with God whereas some atheists might possibly think about God "you don't exist and I hate you".

There is an apocryphal story about St. Teresa whose life was threatened when she was trying to cross a river to do God's work. Her emotions might or might not include anger - who knows. But in any event, it's reported she said to God "when wilt Thou cease from scattering obstacles in our path?” “Do not complain, daughter,” the Divine Master answered, “for it is ever thus that I treat My friends.” “Ah, Lord, it is also on that account that Thou hast so few!” was her reply. St. Teresa of Ávila: “If this is how You treat your friends….”

 

[Revoltingest]

I do not know what motivates people to do much of what they do on a subjective level, but I do admit that I have never been angry at something I did not think existed.

I know many atheists who once believed. Not one
was motivated by anger. They just came to realize
they believed something that made no sense.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

I know many atheists who once believed. Not one
was motivated by anger. They just came to realize
they believed something that made no sense.

I would say that sums up what I have gathered from most atheists.

 

[Sirona]

In another thread, the idea was brought up that many theists believe that atheists are atheists because they're angry with God.

I think I can not reply to this empirically but by telling a story.

Why do you think atheists are atheists?
I was raised in the Eastern Bloc where atheism was the state doctrine, so both of my parents were atheists, and I was expected to become one, too.

What do you think causes a person to abandon their theistic belief system and become an atheist?
My grandmother, who was a displaced person, insisted on my father's religious education in the new homeland, but he more or less let it pass. The key experience for losing his faith was when, at about ten years old, he prayed to God to remove a mistake from a dictation, which God, of course, did not do.

What do you think motivates a person to never adopt a theistic belief system in the first place?
The state took a strongly anti-church and anti-religious course, even to the point of claiming that Jesus never existed. And although I am talking about my own mother, I must say that I felt she could possibly be easily indoctrinated. Whenever she sees especially Christian clergy on TV, she starts getting all worked up that all clergy are frauds, etc. However, I once took her to a Buddhist meditation session, which she seemed to like. From my experience, I would say that Buddhism is much more “focused on reality” than other religions are. I believe that after removing all the ritualistic hoo-ha, Buddhism could certainly be understood as an atheistic philosophy.

 

[Spirit of Light]

In another thread, the idea was brought up that many theists believe that atheists are atheists because they're angry with God.

Theists: do you agree with this? Why do you think atheists are atheists?

What do you think causes a person to abandon their theistic belief system and become an atheist?

What do you think motivates a person to never adopt a theistic belief system in the first place?

There are probably just as many answer to your question than it is people in the world

 

[syo]

In another thread, the idea was brought up that many theists believe that atheists are atheists because they're angry with God.

Theists: do you agree with this? Why do you think atheists are atheists?

What do you think causes a person to abandon their theistic belief system and become an atheist?

What do you think motivates a person to never adopt a theistic belief system in the first place?

Because they are ignorant.

 

[George-ananda]

I think most commonly early exposure to mainstream religion and God concepts and then being intellectually dissatisfied. So it's not usually a motivation but a realization.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Because they are ignorant.

Care to expand on that? What do you think atheists are ignorant of?

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I know many atheists who once believed. Not one
was motivated by anger. They just came to realize
they believed something that made no sense.

When I was very young, I knew what I was supposed to believe, but by the time I was 7 or 8, I already knew I just didn't believe it -- for exactly the reason you give. Made no sense (to me).

 

[syo]

Care to expand on that? What do you think atheists are ignorant of?

In my opinion, christianity leads to atheism. And atheists just abandon christianity and that's that.

***MOD EDIT***

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

In my opinion, christianity leads to atheism.

Even though the vast majority of Christians stay Christians and don't become atheists?

And atheists just abandon christianity and that's that.

In any Christian-dominant culture, there's generally any social pressure to push anyone into any religion, and someone who was raised as a Christian generally wouldn't have had childhood indoctrination into some other religion that would be necessary to make that other religion seem reasonable.

***MOD EDIT***

 

[MikeF]

From my experience, I would say that Buddhism is much more “focused on reality” than other religions are. I believe that after removing all the ritualistic hoo-ha, Buddhism could certainly be understood as an atheistic philosophy.

I find this statement interesting. Would you say that you are basing this statement on a Western culture practice/interpretation of Buddhism or your impression of Buddhism in all its forms around the world. In Buddhist temples that I have visited in Asian countries, there seemed to be a lot of ritualistic hoo-ha going on. Granted, I'm no expert in Buddhism, did not know the language of the practitioners I was observing, etc, etc. Just curious as to what you were basing your statement on.

Also, we haven't defined 'ritualistic hoo-ha', so that could be an issue in the discussion.

 

[pearl]

Theists: do you agree with this? Why do you think atheists are atheists?

To be angry with God is to believe he exists, I think that would be agnostic.
Here's one example I'm sure everyone is familiar with;
How Ron Reagan, son of a true believer, became an atheist unafraid of 'burning in hell' - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)

 

[Sirona]

I find this statement interesting. Would you say that you are basing this statement on a Western culture practice/interpretation of Buddhism or your impression of Buddhism in all its forms around the world. In Buddhist temples that I have visited in Asian countries, there seemed to be a lot of ritualistic hoo-ha going on. Granted, I'm no expert in Buddhism, did not know the language of the practitioners I was observing, etc, etc. Just curious as to what you were basing your statement on.

Also, we haven't defined 'ritualistic hoo-ha', so that could be an issue in the discussion.

I should add first that I am no expert on Buddhism but I read an anthology about early Buddhist texts. Buddha was against the elaborate deity and ritual system of Hinduism. IMHO, the most abstract form of divinity in Hinduism is Brahman, but Buddha radically rejected even this. As I understood him, he was in search of the cessation of suffering. He established that suffering exists, what causes it, how to end it, and what path to take to do so. I read a text that when you are hit by an arrow, you don't debate endlessly about the philosophical nature of the arrow, you just pull it out. Another text talks about a Brahmin who wants to sacrifice an animal but has forgotten the firewood. While he is leaving to get the wood, a predator comes and eats the sacrificial animal. When the Brahmin finally returns, he finds that the sacrificial animal has been eaten, and concludes that a god who could not protect the animal to be sacrificed to him does not deserve worship.

 

[Windwalker]

In another thread, the idea was brought up that many theists believe that atheists are atheists because they're angry with God.

Theists: do you agree with this? Why do you think atheists are atheists?

No, it's not because they are angry at God. If they are angry at all, it's anger at religion for promising so much and delivering so little. Rightly so, in many cases.

Why people are atheists of course is going to vary like the colors of the rainbow. If you're talking those who just didn't 'get it' growing up, that can be for many factors. Not the least of which would be the way religion is explained to them. If they are rationally oriented, telling them to set all that aside and "just believe" in what amounts in their minds to fairy tales, that's not their fault. It's just a simple mismatch of modes of thinking clashing with one another.

For others who were believers, but later found those beliefs unsatisfactory, that could be a matter of their own faith development, growing beyond mythic-literal thinking into a larger vision, but lacking any developed structures they can rationally acknowledge. Again, a lot of that failure is due to the church itself being behind modernity and stuck in a mythic-literal past.

They don't "hate God", but rather just find religion like that to be childish, and have no other place to look to other than the promise that reason and science will provide these answers where religion failed. That too exists within that spectrum of colors. It's not all just one thing, or for one reason. More reasons too could be looked at.

What do you think causes a person to abandon their theistic belief system and become an atheist?

As above. For myself personally speaking, it was because the questions I had needed a larger container than what they offered. Denying reason and science, in order to preserve beliefs, was not faith to me. It was fear. I was and am still of the mind, that faith and reason should complement each other, not compete.

What do you think motivates a person to never adopt a theistic belief system in the first place?

Could be what they were presented with, and how it was presented. Could be the symbolism just never spoke to them. Could be that they just have no interest in the larger questions of life, such as "why do I exist". Some people are just content living life and not trying to understand "big picture" questions like that.

That's certainly true of religious folks too, who simply never wish to try to understand beyond what they are taught in church. They're just content knowing the basic rules, and not questioning things. That's one possibility, but of course they are many others too that could be looked at.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

To be an Atheist is the Null state.
It is the natural state we have when we are born.
All religious leaning are the result of being taught.
However people who have acquired a religious belief can just as easily lose it again
and revert to their natural state as an atheist.
It seems that, the trend at the present time, is for a majority of Humans to revert to atheism.
Those that remain in their religious belief, appear to trend to extremism.