Why Do People Become Atheists
It’s a question many have asked at some point in their lives, it has been one of those penetrating questions that keep coming back to haunt the minds of intellectuals and academic researchers for decades now. The question is “What makes someone become an atheist?” To put it simply, there are different kinds of philosophies, religious or otherwise, and in some rare cases, people can be forced to abandon their religion to follow another, more accommodating kind of philosophy. In this case, the question becomes, “Why do people become atheists?” There are a number of answers to this question that can give rise to a variety of theories in the mind of the inquisitive thinker.
In the most basic terms, people who deny the existence of a supreme being may be considered to be atheistic by theists. This may seem obvious or even self-explanatory, but some are still left wondering what causes someone to adopt such a stance. If you are wondering the same question I was, the next step is to consider other philosophies and try to determine if they are similar to yours. For instance, if you consider yourself to be a Christian, then all other philosophical perspectives are probably acceptable to you, or at least would not cause a problem.
Atheists, however, believe there is no such thing as a supreme being or any other god, therefore they are also considered to be anti-religious. So why do people become atheistic when there are multiple religious ideologies around them? The answer to this question is often shrouded in mystery but it does have an answer that can be understood.
The most common theory on the minds of those who become anti-religionists is intellectual laziness. Most religions, like Islam, Christianity, Judaism or Hinduism, have an aspect of philosophy that is considered to be timeless and beyond time. Philosophy, in its most simple form, is defined as the attempt to understand the world around us using available scientific methodologies. Religion on the other hand has oftentimes been used as a means to justify behaviour in the name of a higher power. When these two ideas are combined, you get the concept of religion being pointless while philosophy is just a means of getting to the bottom of things.
Many people have made the decision that they will not blindly follow a philosophy that goes against their basic principles of life. This concept becomes very easy to justify as there is a God, Allah, Buddha, Moses, Jesus and so on, which is a completely accepted concept in most parts of the world. When you add in a particular philosophy that doesn’t mesh well with your overall morals, principles and goals of life, it is usually pretty easy to just choose another. When this happens on a large scale, it is usually considered a violation of the human right to freedom of choice.
Another reason that people choose not to follow the philosophy lies in the difficulty of actually understanding it. There are too many theories out there that make it extremely hard to come up with a solid basis for supporting your actions or thoughts. The number of these theories is so vast that it would literally be impossible to list all of them. In many cases, even the architects of the theory don’t agree with the validity of their own theory.
How then can a person come to the conclusion that their religious beliefs aren’t the right ones for them? Well, it is no secret that religion involves the giving of something of value to someone. It may be in the form of a sacrifice, something good, or even something abstract like an idea. When a person gives of themselves to something that has no tangible benefit to them, whether it be emotional or material, they are committing themselves to something that does not benefit them. If they were to give their mind, body and soul to a religious belief, it would become obvious that nothing good would come from it. Of course, most religions offer their own interpretation of what this means, but the fact remains that it is an untrustworthy philosophy to follow.
When a person finally decides to look beyond the religious philosophy that has guided their lives up until that point, the question becomes, “Why don’t more people follow philosophy?” After all, the biggest argument for religion is the fact that the dead will be raised. That means that there would be a tomorrow, and a future of those who have followed the path of the righteous. Without those who chose not to follow this path, there would be nothing to save. This is why many ask, “Why do people become Atheists?”
