(November 21, 2015 at 11:39 pm)Heat Wrote: It boggles my mind that a person who has become Atheist because of gaining knowledge, like not that they don't know the lack of evidence, but are atheist BECAUSE they know the lack of evidence, can in some instances convert back to being religious.
How can this happen?
It's not like any new evidence for God has been brought up recently, or will any time soon, yet there are plenty of new-age atheist arguments coming in every day.
If you are including children in your discussion, i must add that some might be drawn into the idea of a loving God, a way of life in which you have a feeling of control over uncontrollable aspects of your life. Also, the story is deliciously deceptive. Young children brought up in no particular religion might buy into it.
As adults, I think it can be some sort of mental illness or disease can bring that about.
In rational adults, the explanation can be a bit trickier. Consider an adult who "became" an atheist without thinking about it too much. In that case, they can just as easily be drawn back to religion.
The other group of sane adults who convert back to religion, I think they are cleverly employing double think. They are calling themselves religions, going through the motions and rituals of religion for some sort of personal gain. This could be:
1. Jobs and networking (Religions people hook each other up to opportunities)
2. Social deprivation. Atheists are hated in parts of the world. It may be just easier to form friendships if you pretend to be religious
3. Family deprivation: some families might stop talking to irreligious members of their family. A good way to win back their trust would be to take up religion again
4. Some people might have to become religious in order to marry the love of their life (an uncle of mine has to do this, How he tolerates Christianity is beyond me)
5. Monetary gain
6. Immigration: Some Middle Eastern countries will not allow atheists to enter their countries. Pretending to be a Christian really helps.
I sort of think of atheists turned religious people as clever idiots. Think of people like Ken Ham and Jason Lisle. They surely dont believe in the creationist crap they so readily espouse. They do it because they are failed scientists and this allows them to earn a lot of tax-free money. So they pretend to support creationism even if they do not believe it at heart. The same goes for atheists who become religious suddenly.
