Atheists who become Christians

[watchamadoodle]

I was reading some articles about athests who became Christians yesterday. I can't understand how an atheist who has researched the arguments is able to believe in Christianity. I can understand why some athiests might want to believe in Christianity (e.g. falling in love with a Christian, psychological needs, etc.), but I can't understand how they accomplish this feat.

I considered myself an atheist for 20 years, and I fell back into Christianity a few years ago, but I had not bothered to educate myself about why Christianity cannot be true - regardless of voices in our heads, apparent miracles, etc. Now that I have learned about the sausage factory that produced Judaism and Christianity over the past 3000 years, I cannot imagine believing in Christianity ever again.

There is a difference between an atheist accepting that some supernatural power might exist and accepting that this power revealed itself in Judaism and Christianity. I can understand how an atheist can convert to some other religion such as Buddhism, but Christianity...?

Are there intellectually honest arguments that provide a fig leaf for these atheists to convert?

[abaris]

Did you read it in print or do you have a link?

My best guess would be some new age types or otherwise spiritual persons turning back to the fold. Personally I can't imagine doing it, since it's so utterly baseless even compared to other religions.

[Chad32]

Usually when I hear about an adult conversion, it's when they were on drugs or otherwise fell on really hard times. Basically when they're most vulnerable. I suppose it is possible that someone who did have a good life would still convert voluntarily, assuming they're not just saying they used to be atheists and were always religious. I'm just not sure why it would happen, unless the person just didn't really care about religion beforehand. Like they might go from being an atheist to being a very liberal religious person.

[IATIA]

I expect that they were 'professed' atheists and did not really accept the reality that there is no god. More than likely they fell back on Pascal;s wager.

[Alex K]

I can't understand how an atheist who has researched the arguments is able to believe in Christianity.

I think you've at least partly answered your question. We often say about fundamentalists that it may not be possible to reason someone out of a position they haven't reasoned themselves into in the first place. The same is probably true in reverse - I'm sure there are atheists who haven't thought deeply about the issue and simply were atheist by default because of their upbringing, or simply contrarian. I can imagine how someone like that would become theist.

[Drich]

I converted from atheism

[watchamadoodle]

Did you read it in print or do you have a link?

My best guess would be some new age types or otherwise spiritual persons turning back to the fold. Personally I can't imagine doing it, since it's so utterly baseless even compared to other religions.

The article I read yesterday was this one from Christianity Today:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013...lemma.html

I also found this wikipedia article listing famous atheists who converted to Christianity:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_con..._nontheism

There is also Holly Ordway who I heard about through somebody on a christian forum:
http://www.hieropraxis.com/

Whenever I read these types of accounts, it seems there is some information missing that would explain why and how these atheists started believing Christianity. I wonder if they are hiding this information, because they know it would not hold-up to scrutiny?

[Spooky]

I converted from atheism

How and why?

[Chad32]

I converted from atheism

You did? No emotional troubles, brow beating by the community, or indoctrinatation from parents? You were an adult atheist living a pretty good life, and decided religion was a good idea?

[watchamadoodle]

I can't understand how an atheist who has researched the arguments is able to believe in Christianity.

I think you've at least partly answered your question. We often say about fundamentalists that it may not be possible to reason someone out of a position they haven't reasoned themselves into in the first place. The same is probably true in reverse - I'm sure there are atheists who haven't thought deeply about the issue and simply were atheist by default because of their upbringing, or simply contrarian. I can imagine how someone like that would become theist.

One of my theories is that these atheists were knowledgable about the argument for and against deism (and other minimal forms of theism). They convinced themselves that deism is possible and then they overlooked the fact that Christianity is different than deism?

I don't understand how anybody can have read the history and then convert to Christianity.

I can understand how a person who was indoctrinated into Christianity might know the history and still not be able to give up their beliefs.