Is it easier for a Christian to become an Atheist than it is for an Atheist to turn Christian?

Question

I know so many good Christians that slowly but surely started to doubt their faith and they eventually became atheists. Although the process took very long in some cases, it seems that once you stop believing you can not turn back to religion anymore, no matter what someone says.

However, are there some former atheists that turned Christian? Is this a very difficult transformation. I struggle to see how this can really happen except for:

1) A very young person who grew up atheist and gets indoctrinated at school or via friends

2) An old person that is dying and maybe converts out of fear.

Answer 1

if you are a christian but have not been baptized in the Holy spirit its gonna be easy to stray and if you have even if you do leave your always going to know God is real and loves you and i believe one day they would come back..as for atheists becoming christian of course it could happen!

i honestly believe it depends soley n the individual and Gods plan for there life...

i pray that you find Jesus as your saviour & father ..&friend

and that you be baptized by the holy spirit  and your life never be the same again (in a good way) :) and that you know the joy of the lord  personally and that his peace be with you always god bless

Answer 2

Umm... you've forgotten the case of a life long atheist that finds what they've wanted from Christianity.  It's not always fear and indoctrination, from either side.

It's very easy for an indoctrinated Christian to convert to atheism. When you're apart of the group just to fit in, eventually it's not worth lying to yourself just for acceptance.

It's easy for an atheist to become religious. Religions and various beliefs in gods can complete many people, even though it takes years to find the correct ones for any individual.

It's hard to convince an Ex-Christian to come back. They leave for reasons, often reasons that can not be fixed by words or bible quotes.

Answer 3

Letting go of your beliefs and changing your world view is hard, no matter which way you travel.

Answer 4

Well I'd imagine so.

As an atheist,I could never believe what a christian does.

Answer 5

We are born atheists so I believe it is easier for an atheist to become a Christian than vice versa.  

Answer 6

Entirely.

I was a strong Christian

became an Agnostic

Now I am an Atheist.

My agnostic phase was the time of my greatest confusion.

I got my PhD in Religious Studies at Duke.

I learned that Jesus never existed and that the Bible Manuscript Tradition is some of the worst mess ever propagated on mankind.

You have to learn to think.

It's not easy and I'll be the first to admit that Atheism is not for everyone.

Some are not genetically (that's right - I said, "genetically".) inclined to reason.

Some simply do not have the intellectual capacity to find meaning without a God.

Some are so brainwashed that they forego their objectivity.

Some are simply delusional.

There's a Christian Apologetics Industry dedicated to keeping every aspect of Christianity and the Bible defended using any means necessary.

They know that Christians will believe anything they tell them.

We are different.

We have the highest standards possible for truth.

Be courageous and seek with all your heart and you will find the truth.

I did.

Answer 7

I think that it is easier for a Christian to fall from faith...just look at the bible with it's fallacy, and trying to believe in a being that supposedly loves and cares for each of us, yet turn on the evening news and the atrocities that are shown, makes  it difficult to remain faithful. I was raised Christian, but quit believing when I was in high school. Knowing now what I know, I could never and will never walk that path again.

Answer 8

It's possible that I could suffer a brain injury, that might prime me for belief in a 6,000 year old creation.

Answer 9

It occurs both ways. That to me, as a Christian, tells me that God indeed has given us the freedom of choice. If God made Himself so 'visible' that it was easy to 'see' He exists there would not be much to choose from, right?

What is interesting to note is that this concept of a higher power is there even among the illiterate in tribes that have no connection with civilization. Only through the process of education is a person able to shake off this belief. But then education works both ways. While it explains things in a way that people don't feel the need for God at the same time in others it instills a sense of awe at the marvelous creation and the Mind behind the creation.

As I said, true freedom of choice!

Answer 10

According to a survey cited on wikipedia, in the US (a largely Christian country) converting away from religion is more common than atheists joining a religion, "In one study of the United States 0.3% of Americans were listed as people who were former atheists. The same study indicated that 1.4% of Americans from non-atheist homes adopted atheism and that in total 1.6% of Americans described themselves as atheists.[1]"

"I struggle to see how this can really happen except for:

1) A very young person who grew up atheist and gets indoctrinated at school or via friends

2) An old person that is dying and maybe converts out of fear."

Or 3) A grown atheist thinks about it and decides that God actually does exist and becoming Christian is the best way to serve Him. For example, author C.S. Lewis or author and former biochemist Alister McGrath (or does that not fit in your tidy little world view and is forbidden to think about about)

Answer 11

I'm myself a Christian turned atheist, and it wasn't that hard since atheism is really the only reasonable position. But it did take a long time.

Apart from the cases you've already mentioned, there's few atheists that turn Christians. But I've heard of some. I would classify them to the "wishful thinking: Wouldn't it be nice to believe in a god, afterlife and all that" -category.

I've heard a long standing joke that whenever an atheist turn Christian, both groups IQ goes up. And I tend to agree somewhat.

Answer 12

Yes. People are not often swept into self-proclaimed atheism by the people around them, but there are plenty of people who identify themselves as Christian simply because they are expected to do so.

There are plenty of advantages to saying you believe in God when you really don't. There are no advantages to saying you don't believe in God when you really do.

Answer 13

I think that depending on circumstances it can be equally hard going either way.

Answer 14

Of course! It's not easy to be a Christian!

It's easy as falling off a log to become an Atheist. Just ask for proof for the existence of god. No proof? See? No god. and voila, you're in: you are now a cool Atheist.

On the other hand, wait a minute, are you asking about a (ex-)Christian who became an A, then to be re-re-born again? Then, not easy, at all!

Anyway, if it's just a "normal" atheist, it's neither hard nor easy; depends on the individual.    

Answer 15

I think it's equally hard for both situations.

For an atheist, he would have to experience some sort of um... I believe it's called a 'miracle'?

For a christian, they would have to experience something catastrophic, like um... their entire family being stabbed to death by a crucifix?

Edit: I have a better chance of having a 20-hooker gang-bang than turning Christian.

Answer 16

No.  It's easier to get on the San Bernardino freeway at rush hour than any of the above.

Answer 17

People change. I became a Christian when I was 25.

Until then, i made the same excuses and BS, and it just ran out.

I am a family man now, and a better person. Go figure.