To piss me off.

Nah, in all seriousness, what they describe often tends to be the Bible's view of a doubting thomas, which is nothing like atheism.

They'll often talk about how they used to be angry at God and stuff, lol. That can't be genuine atheism, and this isn't the No True Atheist fallacy as it's fucking impossible to be angry at something you genuinely believe is non-existent lol. And the point is, claming to have been something doesn't make it so. I could claim to have previously been Alexander the Great's chief eunuch in a past life... but that wouldn't make it so.

I will not say it is impossible to go from the "off" position to the position of Jesus being the one son of the one God of the bible position.

But, when you listen to these "former" atheists, they are not really defining the word in the same way. "Atheist" for most who claim to be former, is more along the lines of anyone who does not buy their new position. "Atheist" to most atheist means "off" on all deity claims, not just the Christian one.

It can be due to having an "oh shit I should have died in that accident " or from my addiction" or "life has pretty things in it". It can also be as mundane as a slick apologist stumping them, and throwing their hands up and saying, "This theist got me, they must be right".

But the more educated you are on religious arguments knowing the traps in logical fallacies and scientific absurdities, and the more you see that every religion in the world ultimately makes the same arguments the harder it is for an apologist to get you to fall for their arguments.

What is more important in combating this bad argument, isn't by looking it in terms of one religion. Humans can also go from being former Christians to Muslim, or former Muslim to Christian, or even go from those to Buddhists. Point is people leave one club for another in every direction all the time. The only thing they are proving is that they changed their position, it is still not evidence that their new position is fact.

I think it's to try and gain credibility with atheists. Playing both sides.

If these people were atheists before, they weren't sceptics. Just people who hadn't put a lot of thought into it, I guess.

(April 1, 2018 at 12:22 pm)robvalue Wrote: I think it's to try and gain credibility with atheists. Playing both sides.

If these people were atheists before, they weren't sceptics. Just people who hadn't put a lot of thought into it, I guess.

You said it better than I did. Certainly not impossible to be a "former atheist" but like I said, for the reasons I said, it is harder to fool a well armed atheist.

Oh, I have no doubt there are atheists who converted to Christianity/Islam/Hinudism/Scientology. I just find it weird that so many of them sound exactly like the stereotypical atheists Christians envision that I've never really discovered anywhere.

God, if you're out there let the next words I type be mespelled.

Of Shat!

(April 1, 2018 at 12:22 pm)robvalue Wrote: I think it's to try and gain credibility with atheists. Playing both sides.

If these people were atheists before, they weren't sceptics. Just people who hadn't put a lot of thought into it, I guess.

That's it. Lack of belief equals atheist.  No scepticism required.

Maybe she got tired of working and wanted her piece of the collection plate. The faithful are easy targets.