Difference between revisions of "Causes of atheism"

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(Probably better to have the guy's name in the caption)
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*'''Superficiality:'''  Noted [[ex-atheists|ex-atheist]] and  psychologist Dr. [[Paul Vitz]] has stated that he had superficial reasons for becoming an atheist such as the desire to be accepted by his [[Stanford]] professors who were united in disbelief regarding God.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt</ref>
 
*'''Superficiality:'''  Noted [[ex-atheists|ex-atheist]] and  psychologist Dr. [[Paul Vitz]] has stated that he had superficial reasons for becoming an atheist such as the desire to be accepted by his [[Stanford]] professors who were united in disbelief regarding God.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt</ref>
[[Image:DrVitz.jpg|thumbnail|125px|right|Noted [[Ex-atheists|ex-atheist]]]]
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[[Image:DrVitz.jpg|thumbnail|125px|right|Dr. Paul Vitz, Noted [[Ex-atheists|ex-atheist]]]]
  
 
* '''Error:'''  Some argue that atheism partly stems from a failure to fairly and judiciously consider the facts <ref>"A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere--'Bibles laid open, millions of surprises,' as Herbert says, 'fine nets and stratagems.' God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous." -- C.S. Lewis, ''Surprised by Joy''.</ref>
 
* '''Error:'''  Some argue that atheism partly stems from a failure to fairly and judiciously consider the facts <ref>"A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere--'Bibles laid open, millions of surprises,' as Herbert says, 'fine nets and stratagems.' God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous." -- C.S. Lewis, ''Surprised by Joy''.</ref>

Revision as of 23:38, May 19, 2010

In regards to the causes of atheism, there are a number of reasonable explanations for atheism:

  • Atheistic upbringing. However, according to recent research by the Pew Forum Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, in the United States, a majority of those surveyed who were raised in atheist or agnostic households, or where there was no specific religious attachment, later chose to join a religious faith.[1][2] A notable example, of a person raised in a atheistic household who later became a Christian is William J. Murray. Mr. Murray was raised by Madalyn Murray O'Hair who founded the organization American Atheists. In addition, Christianity is experiencing rapid growth in atheistic Communist China and has experienced rapid growth in former Communist countries. [3][4][5]
  • Rebellion: Atheism stems from a deliberate choice to ignore the reality of God's existence [6]
  • Naiveté/Gullibility: Many atheists have embraced a number of far fetched, unworkable, and errant notions and ideologies such as communism, abiogenesis, and evolution despite abundant evidence of their falsity.
  • Irrational thinking: As noted earlier, a comprehensive study by Baylor University found that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience than evangelical Christians.[7] Also, as noted above, a 1980 study published in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer found irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born again Christian college students were found to be the least likely.[8]
  • Superficiality: Noted ex-atheist and psychologist Dr. Paul Vitz has stated that he had superficial reasons for becoming an atheist such as the desire to be accepted by his Stanford professors who were united in disbelief regarding God.[9]
Dr. Paul Vitz, Noted ex-atheist
  • Error: Some argue that atheism partly stems from a failure to fairly and judiciously consider the facts [10]
  • State churches: In regards to the causes of atheism, rates of atheism are much higher in countries with a state sanctioned religion (such as many European countries), and lower in states without a sanctioned religion (such as the United States). Some argue this is because state churches become bloated, corrupt, and/or out of touch with the religious intuitions of the population, while churches independent of the state are leaner and more adaptable. It is important to distinguish "state-sanctioned churches," where participation is voluntary, from "state-mandated churches" (such as Saudi Arabia) with much lower atheism rates because publicly admitted atheism is punishable by death. [11]
  • Self-deception[12]
  • Poor relationship with father: Some argue that a troubled/non-existent relationship with a father may influence one of the causes of atheism.[14] Dr. Paul Vitz wrote a book entitled Faith of the Fatherless in which he points out that after studying the lives of more than a dozen leading atheists he found that a large majority of them had a father who was present but weak, present but abusive, or absent.[15][16] Dr. Vitz also examined the lives of prominent theists who were contemporaneous to their atheist counterparts and from the same culture and in every instance these prominent theists had a good relationship with his father.[17] Dr. Vitz has also stated other common factors he observed in the leading atheists he profiled: they were all intelligent and arrogant.[18]
  • Division in religion: According to Francis Bacon, atheism is caused by "divisions in religion, if they be many; for any one main division addeth zeal to both sides, but many divisions introduce atheism." [19]
  • Learned times, peace, and prosperity: Francis Bacon argued that atheism was partly caused by "Learned times, specially with peace and prosperity; for troubles and adversities do more bow men’s minds to religion."[20] Jewish columnist Dennis Prager has stated that one of the causes of atheism is the "secular indoctrination of a generation." [21] Prager stated that "From elementary school through graduate school, only one way of looking at the world – the secular – is presented. The typical individual in the Western world receives as secular an indoctrination as the typical European received a religious one in the Middle Ages."[22] In addition, in communist countries (such as the former Soviet Union) atheistic indoctrination occurred in the educational system through such venues as schools, atheist museums, and clubs.[23][24] Atheists and secularists rarely point out that universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, and many others were founded by Christians.[25][26]

See Also

External Links

Notes

  1. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/defectors-to-faith-mark-a-growing-trend/story-e6frg7ko-1225710667095
  2. http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1204/religion-changes-affiliations-survey
  3. http://www.millennialstar.org/christianity-exploding-in-china/
  4. http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/shows/cwn/2008/August/Christianity-Growing-in-China-/
  5. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/03/international/europe/03romania.html
  6. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse..." —Romans 1:19-20 (NKJV)
  7. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html
  8. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html
  9. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt
  10. "A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere--'Bibles laid open, millions of surprises,' as Herbert says, 'fine nets and stratagems.' God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous." -- C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy.
  11. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118434936941966055.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
  12. Atheism - Satanic deception and self-deception
  13. Atheism - Satanic deception and self-deception
  14. http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth12.html
  15. Vitz, Paul, The Psychology of Atheism, September 24, 1997 (lecture notes taken by an audience member).
  16. Anders, Kerby, Atheists and Their Fathers (Probe Ministries)
  17. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt
  18. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt
  19. http://www.philosophyofreligion.info/ofatheism.html
  20. http://www.philosophyofreligion.info/ofatheism.html
  21. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=43734
  22. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=4373
  23. http://books.google.com/books?id=AL_Jq-7VV0YC&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=soviet+schools,+atheism,+and+religion+and+john+dunstan&source=bl&ots=Rk5y6MkjgW&sig=Xy3ubZljkcNJpRcoi_an6kMu5Xk&hl=en&ei=9-q1S7K_L4K8lQeclaBj&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=soviet%20schools%2C%20atheism%2C%20and%20religion%20and%20john%20dunstan&f=false
  24. http://books.google.com/books?id=BGJtDwJ7aPwC&pg=PA325&lpg=PA325&dq=atheistic+upbringing+and+atheism&source=bl&ots=eQlq1dZfMj&sig=Xm__18YZpV5L0O8VVzgAc9YiSCc&hl=en&ei=yOy1S76CGcWAlAedg5FR&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBIQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage&q=atheistic%20upbringing%20and%20atheism&f=false
  25. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n3/harvard-yale-princeton-oxford-once-christian
  26. http://www.tysknews.com/Depts/Educate/history_part3.htm
  27. Why Atheism?