When and why they became Atheists – Statistics
Herein we will consider when and why certain personages became Atheists. We will parse these into Patterns & Statistics, Influential Atheists, Ex-Catholics, Ex-Hindus and Hoi Polloi Atheists.
As of now, I list the tales of 107 Atheists. You can find them all at the When and Why They Became Atheists Project page.
Overall, you will note a few patterns:
1) Many became Atheist at very young ages which proves that their Atheism is not a result of the employment of any sophisticated logic, science, philosophy, etc. but likely a result of a rebellious emotional reaction against parental authority. a) This young rejection of God tends to result in the Atheists’ theology remaining undeveloped even into their adulthood when they persist in holding to childish notions about God. This tends to manifest in likening God to an invisible friend, a sky daddy, Santa, fairies, etc. which denotes a philosophically naïve category mistake. b) All Atheists are theologians as they concoct concepts of God made in their own image and then they seek to discredit this “God” which means that they only succeed, if they succeed, in debunking a “God” of their own making. c) When many Atheists seek to discredit the Bible they tend to merely paraphrase very loosely (often without quotations and citations), they complain that the Bible states things that it does not (likely basing their claims on vague childhood Sunday School memories) and they condemn the Bible without first providing a premise upon which to condemn anything at all in any manner besides an emotive reaction.
d) On a related note, Paul Vitz, Professor of Psychology at New York University studied the most influential Atheists in history and reported certain conclusions within his book Faith of the Fatherless: the Psychology of Atheism (see here). He notes that right down the line, they had poor relationships with their fathers: due to their father being absent, or dead, or abusive, or a pushover, etc., etc., etc. Thus, in many cases Atheist is a result of youngsters attempting to deal with their emotions towards their parents.
2) Many had bad experiences with “religion” (whatever that means) usually in two ways (note that you will find that Catholicism plays a huge role in producing Atheists). a) They conclude that all “religion,” all theology, the Bible, God, Jesus, etc. are contained within their extremely narrow myopic experience. In other words, they conclude that it is all wrong based on their subjective, intrinsic, childlike, emotive experiences and (mis)understandings.
b) They rightly rebel against manmade traditions and oppressive “religious” people and this crosses the line from a good reason to a bad excuse and is also a logical genetic fallacy.
3) Conversely, some appeal to “evolution” (whatever that means to them as they generally do not define it) and “science” (whatever that means to them as they generally do not define it but they tend to imply scientism) and obviously do not apply the same supposed skepticism they apply to “religion” to them.
a) For example, the history of the alleged evidence for let us say biological (Darwinian) evolution is a history of evidence being promulgated in one generation which is then discredited (as a hoax, a mistake, due to learning more with time, etc.) at which time new evidence is promulgated only to be discredited. Consider what you were told is evidence, as your parents, ask your grandparents and you will see that, that which they were told was evidence no longer is and that which you were told is even now going the way of the dodo.
4) Many of them claim that they had question that no one could answer, or they were told to not ask them, or they were not answered as per their subjective standards. One issue is whether unanswered questions were truly unanswered and were reasons for true and honest skeptical disbelief or whether the question were answered but these were rejected as excuses for cynicism: the skeptic says, “I will not believe until…” and the cynic says, “I will not believe” period. What is interesting is that many of them will claim that having become Atheists and interested in “science,” philosophy, etc. they now virtually boast that there are very many unanswered questions regarding various and sundry issues.
Overall, this is a good reason for getting involved in Christian Apologetics.
Here is a breakdown of the age ranges of the 103 Atheists.
40 Atheists:
I list as “No age given” as they did not specify.
8 Atheists: Did not specify but offered hints thus, these are “No age given” and followed with my observation:
1) “but apparently from the earliest childhood,” 2) “but, ‘No form of theism ever made sense to me. Even as a young child,’” 3) “but sounds like she just followed in daddy’s footsteps,” 4) “but references 19 yrs old as a key moment,” 5) “but apparently from birth,” 6 & 7) “but from birth is implied” and 8) “but ‘for years and years.’”
14 Atheists:
Claimed to have Atheists “From birth” which means that they adhere to one definition of Atheism which is a mere agnostic lack of belief in god(s).
4 Atheists: Ranged “From birth” to another age such as:
1) “and/or pre-teen,” 2) “but also via a process which seems to solidify at circa 22 yrs old,” 3) “and/or 11-12 yrs old” and 4) “and ‘16 I went off to college a declared atheist.’”
14 Atheists: Range from 2 to 12 yrs old.
1) 2 yrs old, 2) 3 yrs old when relevant questions and doubts arose, 3) referenced Washington DC Episcopal Sunday school and one such a one begins at 3 yrs old, 4 & 5) 5-6 yrs old, 6) 5-11 yrs old, 7) referenced a non-specific few years after kindergarten which is for ages 5-6 so it could be 7-10 yrs old or so, 8) 8-teen, 9) 8 yrs old, 10) implied 10 yrs old, 11) started circa 9 yrs old, decided circa 15-16 yrs old, 12) 10 yrs old, 13) 12 yrs old, 14) implies circa 12-13 yrs old.
17 Atheists: Fall within the teen years:
1) circa 13 yrs old is noted, 2) little kid, solidifying at 13 yrs old, 3) early teens, 4) mid-teens, 5) possibly 14 yrs old, 6 & 7) 15 yrs old, 8 & 9) 15-16 yrs old, 10) 16 yrs old, 11) 16-18 yrs old, 12 & 13) 17 yrs old, 14) 18-20 yrs old, 15) “around 19 yrs of age…The Spiritual Teachings started appearing baseless garbage,” 16) is currently 19 yrs and implies a recent de-conversion, as some term it and 17) pre-20s.
5 Atheists: 20s:
1) about 22, 2) 20 yrs old, 3) implies circa 20 yrs old, 4) early 20s and 5) 26 yrs old.
2 Atheists: 30s.
1) Mid 30s and 2) “Started calling myself an atheist when I was 35.”
3 Atheists: Only a rough estimate offered:
1) over 45 years ago but we do not know how old they are now and so cannot calculate age, 2) “was an unconscious atheist early” and 3) “In college, I was an atheist” but gives us no actual date of becoming an Atheist.
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