I was an atheist for my most of my adult life, but I accepted Christianity a few years ago.

What would the assumptions be about my atheism? That it wasn't 'true' atheism, because a 'true' atheist would never convert to belief? That I was less of a critical thinker than atheist who retain their unbelief? That I've only given my disbelief superficial thought, that allowed me to get easily swept away by theism later in life?

Does the fact that I became an atheist imply to you that my disbelief was rather weak, and because of this I uncritically accepted christianity?

What assumptions follow from the fact that I was an atheist that eventually accepted Christianity?

I was an atheist for my most of my adult life, but I accepted Christianity a few years ago.

My condolences. I hope you get better soon.

Getting closer to the grave perhaps.... so delusions take over.

What augment(s) did you find so compelling that it / they caused you to becoming a Christian?

Shaker wrote:

I was an atheist for my most of my adult life, but I accepted Christianity a few years ago.

My condolences. I hope you get better soon.

And I hope you do.

And I hope you do.

But I already am - critical faculties ticking along in fine working order thus far.

theidiot wrote:I was an atheist for my most of my adult life, but I accepted Christianity a few years ago.

What would the assumptions be about my atheism? That it wasn't 'true' atheism, because a 'true' atheist would never convert to belief? That I was less of a critical thinker than atheist who retain their unbelief? That I've only given my disbelief superficial thought, that allowed me to get easily swept away by theism later in life?

Does the fact that I became an atheist imply to you that my disbelief was rather weak, and because of this I uncritically accepted christianity?

What assumptions follow from the fact that I was an atheist that eventually accepted Christianity?

Not much can be inferred, to be honest, and certainly not without invoking the fallacy that nobody was ever born in Scotland.

Some of the problems in assessing:

1. Atheism isn't necessarily a product of reason or critical thinking. There are many routes to atheism.
2. People find justification for believing things, and that justification is and can only be what they decide is justification.
3. Assumptions are almost never justified.

There is no such thing as "true atheism", you either accept the concept of gods despite (or even because of) a complete lack of evidence or you do not.

Being an atheist doesn't necessarily mean that you are a critical thinker, but being religious means that you are not a critical thinker, so therefore your ability to think critically need not have changed.

If i were to make any assumptions about your acceptence of theism, i might hazard a guess that something pivotal happened in your life, perhaps a birth of a child, death of a loved one. Perhaps you heard a preacher talking about the love of religion versus the emptiness of atheism which resounded with the pivotal occurance.
The only thing i can say for sure is that for some reason you decided to accept the unevidenced assertions of religion, i hope it works out well for you.

theidiot, what was it that led to you becoming a Christian? Was it a specific event?

theidiot wrote:I was an atheist for my most of my adult life, but I accepted Christianity a few years ago.

What would the assumptions be about my atheism? That it wasn't 'true' atheism, because a 'true' atheist would never convert to belief? That I was less of a critical thinker than atheist who retain their unbelief? That I've only given my disbelief superficial thought, that allowed me to get easily swept away by theism later in life?

Does the fact that I became an atheist imply to you that my disbelief was rather weak, and because of this I uncritically accepted christianity?

What assumptions follow from the fact that I was an atheist that eventually accepted Christianity?

My assumptions are far less interesting than your reasons I'm sure.

I think the "fake atheist" diatribe can be thrown at some, for instance Kirk Cameron and Alistair McGrath both make a lot about how they were atheists when they were teenagers. While I think that Cameron may be telling porkies, I don't take McGrath's testament that seriously, his atheism was probably a moment of doubt and rebellion. I really don't think there was a moment when he seriously was an atheist, more that there was a moment of crisis in his Christian faith.

But there are plenty of atheists who find religion later in life, no-one would accuse Anthony Flew of not being a real atheist. Graham Greene comes to mind as another example. I think that many atheists underestimate the culture, poetry and ancestral connectivity of religion. Most people do not embrace religion because it offers a rational explanation about the world, people embrace religion to make a connection, not just with the many living that practice it but also with the dead that practised it. Religion also offers a complex superstructure of community, ritual, mythology, continuity, history and culture. Rather than these parts existing separately as they often do in secular culture, religion offers a culture where all of these aspects are bolstered and intensified by their interconnection. That, for me, represents the real power that religions have in attracting human minds.

That would be my assumption then. Let's hear your reason.

theidiot wrote:I was an atheist for my most of my adult life, but I accepted Christianity a few years ago ..

Atheism isn't a belief system so you couldn't become one nor make assumptions about it. Using the phrase "accepted Christianity", implies that you are in a state of cognitave dissonance. As such you can't be argued with rathionally. Why didn't you 'accept' any one of the other theistic religions. Why are you preaching on a site devoted to rational skepticism ..

theidiot, are you the member "living easy" from RD.net?

ILoveLucy wrote:Most people do not embrace religion because it offers a rational explanation about the world, people embrace religion to make a connection, not just with the many living that practice it but also with the dead that practised it. Religion also offers a complex superstructure of community, ritual, mythology, continuity, history and culture. Rather than these parts existing separately as they often do in secular culture, religion offers a culture where all of these aspects are bolstered and intensified by their interconnection. That, for me, represents the real power that religions have in attracting human minds.

... which is why, as somebody once said, people can't be reasoned out of what they were never reasoned into in the first place.

(OT, but I think Greene's actual theistic belief - as opposed to an aesthetic adherence to Catholicism, which isn't the same thing by any means - is very much open to question).

I was an atheist in my 20s, and a rather unpleasant one, I remember, who enjoyed mocking theists.

I started doing meditation in my 30s, and had a series of spiritual experiences, and that led eventually to becoming a kind of marginal Christian.

nunnington wrote:I was an atheist in my 20s, and a rather unpleasant one, I remember, who enjoyed mocking theists.

I started doing meditation in my 30s, and had a series of spiritual experiences, and that led eventually to becoming a kind of marginal Christian.

Could you describe those “spiritual experiences”?

I D of S

Oh, classic beyond the ego experiences, universal self, the I am in all things, etc.

nunnington wrote:I was an atheist in my 20s, and a rather unpleasant one, I remember, who enjoyed mocking theists.

I started doing meditation in my 30s, and had a series of spiritual experiences, and that led eventually to becoming a kind of marginal Christian.

Moreover, what does "marginal Christian" mean, and given that these experiences allegedly came about via meditation, why did such experiences lead you to monotheism instead of, say, Buddhism?

nunnington wrote:I D of S

Oh, classic beyond the ego experiences, universal self, the I am in all things, etc.

So how do you get from these weird, I dare say all-very-nice-for-a-quarter-of-an-hour experiences to "marginal Christianity"?

theidiot wrote:I was an atheist for my most of my adult life, but I accepted Christianity a few years ago.

Under the terms of the Sale of Gods Act (sic) and its various amendments you may still be able to exchange your faulty goods or get your money back.

What would the assumptions be about my atheism? That it wasn't 'true' atheism, because a 'true' atheist would never convert to belief? That I was less of a critical thinker than atheist who retain their unbelief? That I've only given my disbelief superficial thought, that allowed me to get easily swept away by theism later in life?

Dunno. What do you think allowed you to get easily swept away?

Does the fact that I became an atheist imply to you that my disbelief was rather weak, and because of this I uncritically accepted christianity?

Dunno, you tell me.

What assumptions follow from the fact that I was an atheist that eventually accepted Christianity?

That you are theidiot?

What assumptions follow from the fact that I was an atheist that eventually accepted Christianity?

That you are theidiot?

I shouldn't laugh, but ...