Forum:HOW does this happen?- Atheist becoming religious?
Hello their, new man here.- you can call me 'SP-MK.1' or "Mark" for now.
Anyway, I think of myself as a usually rational fellow (I'm autistic though, but that another story), but there seems to be plenty of things that don't make any sense in this world, So at last, I came here to ask those questions and rant about other things.
Today question, why are there are some Atheist becoming Christian? While I'm saying there not a epidemic, their are otherwise reasonable people that, for no reason I can see, disregard all of science and bow down to this demiurge called 'god'.
An example includes C.S.lewis. Lets us begin during his non-believer phase and what he had to say about god.
Had God designed the world, it would not be A world so frail and faulty as we see.
Compare to his "born again Christian" phase.
You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.
How the cthulhu does the english H.P Lovecraft (C.S.Lewis did look and thought like H.P before this tragedy and form what I know, both read Lord Dunsay work) become the english G. K. Chesterton? Really, wtf?
Then there Charles Templeton, who somehow became a christian again thanks to Billy Graham.
Really, is their any rational reason for this? Is there A reason period?
Last time I try to answer this, I just got a lot of woo woo saying things like "Because they saw the light of the lord!"- which I call bullshit.
Remember, this may be important someday seeing the war on common sense and science.--50.83.254.243 (talk) 23:17, 16 July 2015 (UTC)
- People change their minds about a variety of things for a variety of reasons. Social pressures to conform to community standards are a particularly strong influence on human beliefs in a variety of venues, not just religion. We aren't a perfect species, and as much as atheism is a rational conclusion given the evidence available, that doesn't lock anyone into it.
- Those who decide on irreligion for themselves are far less likely to convert later than those raised without religion. It's just life man. Shit happens, you react to it, it changes you. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 19:15, 16 July 2015 (UTC)
- )*sigh*, I guess your right, but I wish there was a better answers out there other then *Shit-Happens* and *God-Did-It*(the latter I highly doubt)-Mark--50.83.254.243 (talk) 23:17, 16 July 2015 (UTC)
- The reason I can't give you that is that people are individuals and life choices aren't simple. People do them for reasons that make sense to them. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 20:19, 16 July 2015 (UTC)
- )*sigh*, I guess your right, but I wish there was a better answers out there other then *Shit-Happens* and *God-Did-It*(the latter I highly doubt)-Mark--50.83.254.243 (talk) 23:17, 16 July 2015 (UTC)
Shit does happen, some things have no rhyme or reason--Rationalzombie94 (talk) 21:35, 9 August 2015 (UTC)
- Come on guys, is it really that hard to understand that some people prefer something more in their lives beyond bland naturalism and moral relativism? 141.134.75.236 (talk) 22:08, 9 August 2015 (UTC)
- I know I prefer my naturalism with a relatively heaping dash of herbs and spices. --Ymir (talk) 00:59, 10 August 2015 (UTC)
- I'd say the following: there's a lot more than moral relativism on the moral side: humanism, utilitarianism, objectivism(ugh, for some definition of "moral" anyways. On the mechanistic side: you've got an uphill battle if you want to show that materialistic naturalism is insufficient to describe the world. ikanreed You probably didn't deserve that 13:29, 10 August 2015 (UTC)
- But how can you have moral absolutism without a supreme God to set the absolute moral rules? When you remove that God from the picture, when you show that foundation for the imaginary thing it was, what do people's views and moral codes have left to stand on? How could any conception of morality beyond that point not be a mere subjective human invention? And who said anything about views being sufficient or insufficient for describing the world? It's not about looking at the world and applying Occam's Razor to hypotheses here, it's about people determining from which metaphysical perspective and through which ideological/historical narrative they mentally prefer to look at world. 141.134.75.236 (talk) 14:07, 10 August 2015 (UTC)
I didn't say there could not be a God(s), I am saying shit happens with out rhyme or reason.--Rationalzombie94 (talk) 00:57, 10 August 2015 (UTC)
- For example....Why, hello there. (talk) 00:58, 10 August 2015 (UTC)
For the person who turned Christian, it is his or her life to live. Why worry about some other person's life and how they choose to live it? If someone wants be be atheist, Jewish, Christian, Pagan or wants to worship a turkey sandwhich- let them. You can laugh at the stupidest of beliefs, I laugh at Scientology and some of these whacked out religions. But if you really worry about how someone chooses to live then there is something wrong.--Rationalzombie94 (talk) 01:21, 10 August 2015 (UTC)
- Why are you bringing this up? I was not involved until you said shit happens without rhyme or reason. Now you're making positive claims- not me. Why, hello there. (talk) 02:22, 10 August 2015 (UTC)
We have a misunderstanding here, I was talking about the original post in general.--Rationalzombie94 (talk) 13:13, 10 August 2015 (UTC)
People aren't purely rational beings, even atheistic people. They can become religious or irreligious for irrational reasons. I wouldn't assume that a person values rational thinking merely because they're an atheist. I would say that in your example, C.S. Lewis was reacting emotionally when confronted with the ills of the world, not rationally examining the concept of God. If his beliefs were based on emotion, then his beliefs would change based on emotion. Frederick♠♣♥♦ 20:36, 10 August 2015 (UTC)
- Walk back into the forum* Sorry about that, I was taking a walk-a-bout
@Rationalzombie94: about the later part of what you said, It not that there's anything wrong with how one lives there life, but it could still be problematic with the rest of us. The thing is I'm a little worry about myself and other atheist if, say, there could be a subconscious part of the brain that makes one to believe in god or some-shit against there will, which would be a slightly creepy thought (I know it not rational and illogical, but that doesn't stop me form worrying. Humans as Frederick noted, are not 100% rational and not bounded to reality or what 'should' happen.) (also, my IP must of changed... I should probly sign up soon before procrationation happens again.) --69.42.249.185 (talk) 01:00, 6 October 2015 (UTC)
- CS Lewis has explained the exact reasoning that led him to become Christian, in several places. Mere Christianity would be a good place to start, unless you're seriously worried about being converted.KrytenKoro (talk) 15:46, 6 October 2015 (UTC)
- I look at it this way, as long as a person does not shove their beliefs down other people's throats and they do not use their beliefs to harm others then I do not see a problem. Yes people are not 100% rational but atheists can be irrational too, no I am not saying being an atheist is bad so do not think I am. Then again humans are naturally violent no matter if they have religion or not.--Rationalzombie94 (talk) 20:01, 6 October 2015 (UTC)