What's the fastest way to make someone an atheist?

What's the fastest way to make someone an atheist?

Someone asked me recently what I thought would be the fastest way to make someone an atheist.

As if there was one argument that was better than all the others.

A few thoughts ran through my mind: Read the first page of the Bible.

Realize that every major religion teaches that all the other religions are wrong. They can't all be right.

Ask yourself why a good God would allow so many horrible things to happen in the world.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn't really want to answer the question. Because if all it takes for you to shed your faith and become an atheist is, like two minutes of thinking, maybe you haven't really thought this through.

I would take someone much more seriously if she told me she became an atheist over a period of a year, in which she read books, listened to what atheists had to say, heard Christian apologists embarrass themselves, and studied up on evolution and sociology.

If you do all those things, you're really convincing yourself of how right you are.

It's not just an emotional reaction that makes sense for a moment.

All of us might believe something silly for a minute or two. You might think Donald Trump is a good outsider candidate for President for a minute.

But if you change your mind at the drop of a hat, odds are someone else with a flashy smile who knows how to play with your emotions can get you to change it again.

I want people to be atheists forever. I want to convince you I'm right. And one argument, even if I'm the one making it, shouldn't do that.

I hope you become an atheist because of all the evidence, from all different areas convinces you it makes sense -- the big bang, religious hypocrisy, biblical contradictions, the fact that pastors lie to you all the time, etc.

It's kind of like evolution, in a way. The greatest scientists in the world accept it, not because a textbook or teacher told them to, but because they've seen the evidence a million different ways.

Ken Ham's Creation Museum or Noah's Ark theme park isn't going to sway a smart person because there's no way for Creationists to counter all the evidence. They can build a flashy boat that might mesmerize gullible people, but that's all they got.

And when you're an atheist because all the evidence in the world convinces you that there's no reason to believe God exists, then one story of a supposed miracle or one church service isn't going to sway you. And good. They shouldn't.

I want you to think this through, because religion is a serious topic.

Don't believe something because I said so. Don't believe it because Richard Dawkins wrote a good chapter in a book.

Believe it because maybe that stuff got you started on a road to questioning your faith, and you studied it and you realized religion just doesn't make sense. That's how you know it's gonna stick.

So what's the one argument I could make to convince someone to become an atheist? There isn't one, and honestly, if there was one, I probably wouldn't take you seriously if you deconverted because of it.

There are plenty of reasons you should be an atheist. And the more you study them, the more convinced you'll be that it makes sense.

Some people aren't brave enough to question religion. I hope you're curious, and I hope your journey is lifelong. Because then, you won't just be an atheist, you'll become an advocate for atheism. And we could use a lot more of those.
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[sansactionl]

you don't make someone an atheist, you just don't brainwash kids into bullshit

[proxide]

As soon a became Atheist I became a more happy person

[AWalkOnDirt]

It took a decade. I was embarrassed with my length of time. I feel better now.

[jthb]

When i was a christian they used hell as a treath that if i stopped beliving, i would live in fire. My whole christianity was based on fear. When i became an athest i was way more peaceful

[giroudeq]

It's hard to tell a child santa clause doesn't exist it's better if he discover it by himself. Same goes for religious people.

[odd]

I became an atheist after years and years of internal tug of war. God is real. No he's not. Yes he is. No. Yes. No. Yes. I prayed, I watched atheist YouTube videos, I went to church, I skipped church. It was rough and it challenged me. I rarely stopped thinking about it. I don't think I'm gullible I just think it was me trying to hold on to everything I've known even though I knew in my logical thoughts it was wrong.

[mr.ajgarcia]

im gonna be honest. i was religious. then i went to jail. i sat in jail. i saw the bible and decided to read it. i read it everyday. by the time i came out about a yr later i was athiest

[keystonedaytrip]

I didn’t become an atheist, I’ve always been one 👍🏼

[Mr.MidKnight]

Not all Christians are like this but they get triggered when we logically debate with logical aruements

[someyoungguy]

I was born an atheist. All attempt to get me to follow some dusty old book failed.

[sandraa]

It took me 8 years to shed my faith and become an atheist. I’ve never felt so much better.

[koby_in_renaissance]

Becoming a Christian made me an atheist 👁️👄👁️

[peterforsythe]

I became an atheist when I was nine. Felt better ever since...

[padfootfan]

I read the Bible at age 10...came to my senses pretty quickly. Probably because I started at the old testament, where inconsistencies are rife. My parents were relieved.

[cupofcoffee]

I'm 12 and I'm in 8th grade, took me about 2 years questioning everything my family has thought me since my family is very religious. Last Friday my classmate literally yelled "Hey this guy"s an atheist dont talk to him" he knew this because we were on a very religious topic and asked me if i believed in god, he also stated that I believed in satan, this kid is very smart tbh but I still dont understand why he did it, i would have been fine if he just told them i was atheist but to tell them not to talk to me is on a whole other level of fucked up.

[gleanerman]

You are so right, it took my hundreds of hours researching everything, and it took me almost 3 years to finally say that's it. its all man-made bullshit. Love your video's.

[El_Komal_Z]

Leaving Christianity and becoming an Atheist was the best thing I've ever done! It wasn't easy took me a while but after I saw all the evidence and found the courage I deconverted

[jokeybob]

You don't make someone an atheist, they become one themselves. It may be fast or may take a long time, some times an entire life time. All we as an outsider can do is answer question and maybe give a nudge here and there.

[colinakersakers]

Well there really isn't a debate about evolution. It's a fact, period. The only way you could deny evolution is if you didn't research it from an objective source. Or you're willingly ignorant.

[samuelvimes]

The fastest way to make someone an atheist? In my case it was hearing creationists speak