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I used to be an Atheist, but.

How many times have we heard discussions or read blogs that contained those words. I for one, having read, discussed and rehashed that ole chestnut countless times have come to the conculsion that these people have never been Atheists but are using this sentence to try and persuade us that they saw the light and have converted back and YOU CAN TO.
My feeling is these people are Fundies or Faith heads and are using this line of BS for their own dishonest advantage.
Myself, being a strong Atheist and a strong advocate of science and especially Evolution, think that once you know the truth about the bible and the truth about Evolution, there is no possible way you can convert back short of a lobotamy.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ian on September 29, 2009 at 4:19pm

Sane people do, occasionally, go mad.

But I agree with you - this seems like a semantic ploy by the reality deficient to try to cast doubt with those 'on the fence' between belief in fairies and those that can cope with the real world.

Permalink Reply by justin.l on September 29, 2009 at 7:29pm

You can trap with this statement..

You can ask "why did you leave atheism?"

What made them "see the light"

Then ask what made them go back!

These questions can shine the light on those cockroaches

Permalink Reply by Michael on September 30, 2009 at 5:04am

I think many of these people have always been religious but then had a born again experience. They decide that they became "true believers" after that experience and therefore, by definition, they were not true believers before that time...so they must have been atheists.

Permalink Reply by Mike Kleinman on September 30, 2009 at 5:35am

Once I " jumped the fence" to rational thought, I can't make myself fit back into the place I left. I personally don't see how you could ignore the truth without some mental gymnastics. I think that someone who does just finds that they still need whatever their belief in faith gives them. It doesn't work for me.

Permalink Reply by Kevin on November 8, 2009 at 8:35pm

I agree. Even if god came out of the sky and told me that I was wrong I would first get checked out for a mental disorder.

I have heard many people say they used to be a sad and lonely atheist but saw the "truth". I have been an atheist for so long that I can never understand the belief in god - there is no such thing period.

Permalink Reply by sinisterpictures on November 28, 2009 at 1:26pm

I agree with the sentiments above. I find it strange how someone sitting on a bus talking to someone nobody else can see is considered mad, yet if that person were on their knees, hands together in a church it's ok? Am I missing something?

Permalink Reply by Reality Activist on December 20, 2009 at 7:36am

I knew a proclaimed atheist who was converted from Christianity, but had a wife who was a fundamentalist. He converted back, according to him, to save his marriage. Eventually, he couldn't take it any more and converted back to atheism and was facing divorce. After several discussions on divorce and his "issue" with his wife, it occurred to me that this guy wasn't really an atheist at all. Eventually, he left the local atheist groups, but after he tried to sway my opinion and at one point tried to discredit me within the group. Of course, none of that worked, but it was an experience.
Actually, in the DC area, I have been the target of a couple of deceitful attempts by fundamentalist to either discredit or sway my opinion. I make myself a great target because I make my atheism so conspicuous.

Permalink Reply by Charles on December 25, 2009 at 11:10pm

I don't see how it's possible.I'm strong in my non-belief.If I seen a vision I'd head to the hospital to see what is wrong with me.I was never religious as a child except at age 17 and that was because we attend church weekly and I started to fall under the brain-washing.Religion is very dangerous.

Permalink Reply by Wrath James White on December 26, 2009 at 8:17am

There are those who call themselves atheists because they don't believe in God but they have no idea why they disbelieve. Many of them were just never exposed to religion as children and thus never indoctrinated. There are also those who left for emotional reasons rather than logical ones and thus can easily return to religion for emotional reasons. Neither of these are true logical atheists and so I am quick to denounce the claim that they were atheists who converted. They were very weak atheists who probably had never heard a real logical reason for disbelief and could not have formed one. I have heard weak atheists come to me with some often refuted bit of Christian apologist garbage like liar, lunatic, or lord or irreducible complexity like they had found something that had made them rethink Christianity. I am always shocked by this and when I refute these arguments and suggest they read up a bit on the logical arguments against Christianity I always wonder what would have happened had I not been there. Not every atheist is an intelligent one.

Permalink Reply by Nate on December 26, 2009 at 8:44am

There are those who call themselves atheists because they don't believe in God but they have no idea why they disbelieve. Many of them were just never exposed to religion as children and thus never indoctrinated. There are also those who left for emotional reasons rather than logical ones and thus can easily return to religion for emotional reasons. Neither of these are true logical atheists and so I am quick to denounce the claim that they were atheists who converted. They were very weak atheists who probably had never heard a real logical reason for disbelief and could not have formed one.

Amen. It's important to understand how someone arrives at their atheism. Some self-described atheists seem to be theists that are angry with or disappointed by their god- their atheism is an act of rebellion meant to teach the deadbeat deity a lesson. I'm suspicious of those that describe atheism as a choice. When you quit blocking reality, there is no longer any choice. Atheism is the inevitable conclusion.

Permalink Reply by Lorien on March 13, 2010 at 5:53pm

I have always wondered what caused William J. Murray, son of Madeline O'Hair to become delusional. Could just hatred of your mother cause someone to loose their rational thought?

If someone knows why, I wouldn't mind knowing too. I just had this argument with a theist last night and I couldn't come up with a defense other than brain injury, brain washing or money! Nothing short of a brain injury where I couldn't think logically anymore would cause me to change from atheism. I would love to have money but I could not live with myself if that was the cause. Well maybe continued great sex might cause me to lie for it - LOL

Permalink Reply by Dr. Terence Meaden on June 7, 2010 at 4:48pm

Re Lorien's words: " ...Well maybe continued great sex might cause me to lie for it - LOL"

This reminds me of Henry Miller's fantasy:
“Sex is one of the nine reasons for reincarnation . . . the other eight are unimportant.”