So I read over at The Friendly Atheist about yet another person that claimed they were an atheist, and then had a life changeing experience that brought them to theism. And he mentioned something that I thought was very telling. Basically he said: "though you won’t find them making any public statements regarding their atheism before they began evangelizing"

Got me wondering, so what list of evangelists out there (or other of the ilk) that claimed to be atheists, but now are godbotherers? And are there any more datapoints that they are just spouting nonsense that will appeal to their audience? As someone said in Hemant's comments, this seems to be a simmilar schtick back in the 50s when someone would claim, "I used to be a communist until I found the lard."

Same shit, different day?

Is it any different to atheists who say they used to be Christians?

John

The Christians who used to be atheists generally come across as people who never really thought about the God question. Not all of them but some I've heard when talking about they used to be atheists and "lost" what they really seem to mean is they just weren't Christians. I guess they were apatheists.

I don't know about this, I don't believe that someone who is a conscious atheist, not just indifferent about religion but actively does not believe in religious nonsense, can be made to believe. I need convincing about this.

Case in point. Check out this drivel.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKrTK_WUiCo[/youtube]

Here's the description below the vid.

Do you think atheism is intellectual? Many do, and because they want to be seen as "intellectual" they place their faith blindly into whatever some teacher or scientist tells them.

If you claim to be an atheist, don't just parrot what you hear some other atheist say. Strive to have intellectual integrity by doing your own investigation.

Atheists want to be seen as intellectual?

He's not describing here what an atheist is... he's describing a caricature of atheists that a lot of Chrisitans hold. The too big for his own boots atheist who thinks he's really smarter than everyone else with his fancy science who is really actually a fool (according to the Bible, not them, let's make this absolutley clear) because he rejects their little fantasies and and scoffs at them.

I know some pretty dumb people who don't believe in God but who act like creationists in every other way.

I used to be an atheist, but then i found out that the universe is actually only 6000 years old and dead people are curing cancer patients from beyond the grave.

Some atheist they were.

I know a couple of people who flat out reject God but believe in every other bullshit under the sun.

I think what Cameron above has done is, under the suggestion of his Christian bum chums, retro-fitted himself as an atheist when in actuality he was probably just a non-thinking person (and still is).

That said some people come to Christianity from atheism after giving the question serious consideration. Then some otherwise really intellignt people see a frozen waterfall and that's it, they're converted. It's a muddy issue.

it usually goes something like:

"I was an atheist and i did not care.I used to drink, take drugs, sleep around because as an atheist, i did not need to care. Then i found jesus. "

And of course finding Jesus is a get out of jail card.

Aca wrote:it usually goes something like:

"I was an atheist immature and easily led young lad and i did not care.I used to drink, take drugs, sleep around because as an atheist immature and easily led young lad, i did not need to care. Then i found jesus grew up. "

^ Here's the grown up version for those not suckered in by shit stirrers who would lay a guilt trip on you because you made a shit ton of regrettable mistakes that some of you here, certainly I, recognise.

Bypass the Intellect.. instructions
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiUMPWqjG3k[/youtube]

Easy... if you have brain damage.

Hang on. It's no good arguing that atheism is simply the absence of belief, but then when someone who had no belief becomes a theist & says "I used to be an atheist", condemn them as not being a True Atheist. Everyone who is now a theist, started off as an atheist.

The lying for Jesus is in the way that they suggest that their atheism was a thought out stance, changed by some experience of the divine. It clearly wasn't (at least in most cases), but rather a move from 'I haven't thought about it' to 'I've had this experience & chosen not to think about it too hard, just accept some supernaturalist mumbo-jumbo explanation'.

The difference between the consciously atheist & the unconsciously atheist is a considerable one, and the lie is not acknowledging that fact.

I think this quote from the particular blog post I am referring to sums up the "I used to be atheist"

I did not believe in God. I knew God existed but I didn’t have a relationship with His son.

That just sounds gay

Ihavenofingerprints wrote:I used to be an atheist, but then i found out that the universe is actually only 6000 years old and dead people are curing cancer patients from beyond the grave.

Some atheist they were.

The thing is, atheism in the sense they are talking about is apatheism. It really only amounts to:

1. I don't have any evidence to show you other than me changing my mind.

2. Therefore you should change your mind.

Not very convincing huh?

I'm more interested in people like this lady here talking to JT Eberhard (it's cued so don't worry about watching all 9mins of Christian nonsense)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ASBBIVFb8c#t=2m38s

She says that not only was she an atheist but she was also a skeptic. This means that she should have some evidence to bring to the table as to why she was actually convinced. Of course when JT presses her for evidence she simply repeats "There is evidence in the bible" while not actually explaining where this evidence is.

Note as well that she says that she used to be a skeptic, implying that she used to rely on reason and evidence in order to determine what things are actually true. Of course that's all behind her now!

LarianLeQuella wrote:So I read over at The Friendly Atheist about yet another person that claimed they were an atheist, and then had a life changeing experience that brought them to theism. And he mentioned something that I thought was very telling. Basically he said: "though you won’t find them making any public statements regarding their atheism before they began evangelizing"

Got me wondering, so what list of evangelists out there (or other of the ilk) that claimed to be atheists, but now are godbotherers? And are there any more datapoints that they are just spouting nonsense that will appeal to their audience? As someone said in Hemant's comments, this seems to be a simmilar schtick back in the 50s when someone would claim, "I used to be a communist until I found the lard."

Same shit, different day?

I flirted with atheism. It's like that seductive girl that wont go away.

Mick wrote:I flirted with atheism. It's like that seductive girl that wont go away.

Why would you want a seductive girl to go away?

Probably an agent of the Devil, innit.

Whether I find the stories of such conversions objectionable depends on why they are told. When it's a smug attempt at a put-down of atheists I think it's a lie. Most of us here know one Christian who says he used to be an atheist who doesn't do this however, and would more likely use his experience come to our defence against claims that atheists can have no morality without God.