Atheism or Faith? Why People Join & Leave Religion? ⚛️ ✝️

Why some people leave religion and others join? ⚛️ ✝️This review is based on the studies of two renowned Canadian psychologists Robert Altemeyer and Bruce Hunsberger. The study involved 4264 people and it explores the contrast of drastic changes in people's lives in relation to religion. The result demonstrated that those who become religious and those who become apostates are significantly different groups of people.
After surveying over four thousand students from a several Canadian Universities, scholars chose 25 people on each spectrum and held in-depth interviews with them. The first group they called Amazing Apostates (AAs) (those who grew up in a religious household, received a strong religious education, and had strong religious beliefs and practices but later abandoned it). The second group they called Amazing Believers (ABs) (those who were not religious but decided to join religion). The result demonstrated that amazing believers and amazing apostates are significantly different groups of people.
Disclaimer: I must admit the methodological limitations of Altemeyer’s and Hunsberger’s study. They focus only on Christian students in two Canadian Universities. It does not represent stories of people of different ages, religious and cultural backgrounds.
Please, support Religiolog through a one-time donation: www.paypal.com/paypalme/religiolog
Or become my Patron: www.patreon.com/4religiolog
Special thanks to Planet Curious for collaboration and video footage: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3isp2WOq7Sledk
Check out my other videos:
History of Soviet Atheism. Antireligious campaign in the USSR Lenin, Stalin, and Khrushchev - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2TFqIRvapuJZ6c
Positive Atheism in the USSR under Brezhnev. The Institute of Scientific Atheism. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnLZq6aNrZeGbMk
#secularism #apostasy #conversion #religiolog #psychology_of_religion
Suggested bibliography:
• Altemeyer, B. & Hunsberger, B. 1997. Amazing Conversions: Why some turn to faith and others abandon religion, Amherst, NY, Prometheus Books.
• Marshal Brooks Disenchanted Lives: Apostasy and Ex-Mormonism among the Latter-day Saints (2018)
• Daniel Swann A Qualitative Study of Black Atheists (2020)
• Daniel Dennett and Linda LaScola Caught in the Pulpit (2012)
• Simon Cottee The Apostates: When Muslims Leave Islam (2015)
• Ayala Fader “Hidden Heretics: Jewish Doubt in the Digital Age” (2021)
• Phil Zuckerman Faith No More: Why People Reject Religion (2011)
• Melanie Brewster American Atheists (2014)
• Richard Cimino and Christopher Smith “Atheist Awakening: Secular Activism and Community in America” (2015)

[@religiologEng]

Thank you for your likes and support! My playlist on secularism - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2TFqIRvapuJZ6c Please, support Religiolog through a one-time donation: www.paypal.com/paypalme/religiolog Or become my Patron: www.patreon.com/4religiolog

[@mariolis]

Every apologist or priest or pastor that keeps claiming that we left the faith just "because we want to sin" or "we were never true believers" or "because we got hurt" or "because we are going through hardship" or "we know it to be true but supress the truth in unrighteousness" needs to watch this video

[@religiologEng]

thank you! Please help to share it with others.

[@joearmstrong2598]

Excellent informative video

[@religiologEng]

Thank you, Joe! Glad you liked it!

[@shriggs55]

Very well done.I think what all this religiosity comes down to is psychological states of mind with emotions riding next to them on the front seat.Emotion plus influence makes a potent mix and force.

[@religiologEng]

thanks for sharing your thoughts on that. Things are always complicate and there are many factors involved but such psychological state play its role. Many people also simply socialize to religion through their upbringing. Here is my video on that topic - kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5yQY2aEYtl6qNk

[@shriggs55]

Thanks.Peace.

[@hemaatef556]

hmmm u can say the same thing about astheists the leave their religion to be free not for their beliefs or atleast most of them theres alot of Qs that asthiem dosent have an answer to that religion has an answer to it

[@williandalsoto806]

Very interesting video as always!

[@religiologEng]

Thank you Willian! What do think about the major theses of the study? Does it make sense?

[@williandalsoto806]

@@religiologEng I mean, it matched up my personal experience and people I "know" on the internet.

[@robertfreid2879]

Excellent video, as always.

[@religiologEng]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@robertfreid2879]

@@religiologEng Definitely!

[@JC-mg9ll]

I was raised Catholic but I came out as an atheist when I went to university. To me, the biggest reasons for leaving my faith were the fact that it was imposed to me and the lack of evidence. No matter how hard I tried to find god, I couldn't find it anywhere.

[@religiologEng]

have you tried other religions or churches (other than Catholic)? Also do you see it as a partially a rebellion against those who imposed Catholicism on you?

[@UnderWaterExploring]

@@religiologEng Personally, I did see it as a rebellion against those who imposed religion on me... but that rebellion started because I was never given any good reasons to believe the religious claims, NOT because I wanted to rebel against people telling me what to do or what to believe... and I did give other religions a chance, but I had the same unanswered questions and the same rejection from the faithful as soon as I questioned anything... my reason for remaining atheist is because Ive never been presented with any good reasons to choose one over all the others, and all of them seemed to have a big problem with my skepticism, as if my skepticism was rooted in ill intent, when it was actually rooted in a deep desire to want to be able to fully explain and rationalie my beliefs, but I never got to that point because I never foind any rational reasons to believe superstitions, especially when any questioning or skepticism I presented was met with such resistance and rejection it was never about rebelling..it was about never finding any good reasons or evidenmce..the rebellion really came after that, because I couldnt understand why I was being so rejected and criticized and judged simply because I questioned things in order to try to arrive at the most informed decision But that never happened... I never found any good reasons or evidemce..i only found similarity in how each religion ionitially rejected me simply for asking questions and doubting things that I feel all reasonable people should doubt and question doubting and questioning is how I have always found the most information to use to form decisions and beliefs and to be able to best explain those decisions and beliefs so thats why I remain an atheist so far in my life

[@religiologEng]

Thank you for providing such deep response. Your testimony is very valuable. Have you seen this video on my channel? I think it would resonate with your story - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6appYZngt2oo8U

[@religiologEng]

sorry but what is this about?

[@religiologEng]

excuse me?

[@rxselxrd2996]

Love your channel!

[@religiologEng]

Thank you so much!

[@La_vera_primavera]

What a great video! So intersting! Thanks so much! 😊

[@religiologEng]

thanks!

[@jenna2431]

The youth rebellion idea takes a lot for granted. As a be-leaving non-theist Boomer, my peers stay put out of habit AND because they know the horrific treatment leavers receive: the gossip, the harassment, former "sisters and brothers" crossing the street to avoid a "traitor to the faith", that love stops, even loss of spouse, home, job, and sometimes children. Churches will even have the utter nerve to demand a leaver come there, stand in front to get publicly shamed. So my peers are often happy enough to keep their social schedules, their routines, their opportunities for good-doing while they hide their unbelief.

[@religiologEng]

while hiding, do they attend Sunday Services or various rituals?

[@arusirham3761]

Sir, what app do you use for editing and where do you get those footages?? Thanks

[@religiologEng]

Thanks for the question. This particular video is actually the only video on my channel in which video footage wasn't produced by me. The script is mine but not the video. Planet Curious helped me with that. So I don't know the answer. Sorry

[@jamiegallier2106]

Great video.

[@religiologEng]

Thank you Jamie! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@jamiegallier2106]

@@religiologEng I always do! Thank you!❤️

[@jenna2431]

When you convert, it's usually in an emotional environment with trusted person/people and it solves some emotional need for existential survival or social acceptance and often both. When you decon it's a long road of study, of hoping what you're now beginning to see isn't true, and ultimately resigning yourself that your life is about to be up-ended. Personally I'd have called them believers and be-leavers.

[@religiologEng]

thank you for sharing your thoughts here. You basically describe similar patterns as in this study

[@christinafidance340]

I also find that A LOT of people who are addicts or alcoholics become super super religious after getting clean. It’s almost like it fills the same role as getting high used to for them. The same happens when ex-addicts start exercising, However I personally view this as much more healthy, lol. Anyway, these people will find religion much in the exact same way as the others whom you described…. Thru other people, or in groups like NA/AA and also to fulfill their emotional needs. It’s just that there is also the added brain chemicals that their bodies are often still seeking too.

[@jaybhavani8416]

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[@jaybhavani8416]

❤ There are three Sciences Adhibhautic Aadhidaivic Adhyatmic gyaan - vigyaan - vidya interconnected with each other , according to Sanatan Vedic Hindu Dharma. 🎉

[@DaWrecka]

Maybe it's just me, but I can't tolerate - literally, I am unable to sit through - videos where the audio comes through one channel only. In this case I hear everything through my right ear only. I can't tolerate this video.

[@religiologEng]

I'm surprised. I hear it clearly from both channels. Maybe there is a problem with your headphones? Try to listen to it without headphones

[@DaWrecka]

@@religiologEngEvery other source of audio I try comes through both ears as it should; other KZbin videos, VLC Player, Foobar2000, audio from my consoles, audio from my phone from the 3.5mm jack or over Bluetooth... *everything* comes through both ears, but not this video. I even tried two different browsers (Brave and Firefox) on two different computers with two different operating systems. (one running Xubuntu 22, the other running Windows 10) Exact same results; audio from this video in one ear only, audio from other videos in both ears.

[@religiologEng]

@@DaWreckawow, so strange. I can hear it nicely in both ears. Strange. Do you mind, please checking any of my other videos and let me know if they have the same problem?

[@mariolis]

I too have this problem, thought it was my headphones but no, it plays everything else fine , but this video i can hear only from one side

[@religiologEng]

@@mariolis wow, strange. is it only for this video on my channel?

[@uncleanunicorn4571]

And if the religion is not true, Why trust it to solve your emotional issues in the first place?

[@religiologEng]

as you may see, based on this data many people when turning to religion often don't care much about the truthfulness of religion

[@Theo_Skeptomai]

Does an individual have any choice? I am an atheist because I am not convinced any god is a reality. I haven't any choice in this matter.

[@religiologEng]

have you ever been a believer?

[@Theo_Skeptomai]

@religiologEng Yes. I was a "born-again" evangelical Christian for eight years. So, does an individual have a choice in their convictions?

[@religiologEng]

It's a very deep question. I'm not sure if I have the answer. The data demonstrates that for most believers who deconvert from religion it is not a matter of choice but rather a realization. What do you think?

[@Theo_Skeptomai]

@@religiologEng I think it is a straight forward answer: No. An individual can not simply choose that which he or she believes. One can choose to research any proposition one believes to gain more pertinent information. One can choose to examine their beliefs. One can choose to entertain other perspectives. One can choose to encourage criticism from others. One can choose to review why they believe what they do. But an individual is either convinced by available evidence or NOT convinced. There isn't any choice. I can demonstrate this for you if you wish.

[@jenna2431]

I'd nuance that with you can't choose being persuaded. You either are or your not. And if you aren't persuaded, then you make the choice to not believe. But that's just my heretical self. But I say that because Christianity depends so hard on apologists and argument, not on evidence. I'd even go so far as to say the Christian doesn't understand the difference between the two.

[@THEMAN2bcjxnxmd]

My question here is that it is seen as data that apostates lose faith because of intellectual reasons and atheists become believers because of emotional reasons. But is this always the case though? Secondly cant believers become apostates because of religious trauma from growing up that to me is emotional. And can't atheist who turned into believers become religious because they found their own rational reasons of the belief that it makes sense logically and it seems like the truth?

[@religiologEng]

1. No, its not always the case, they are talking about the overwhelming majority. 2. Yes, they can.

[@THEMAN2bcjxnxmd]

​@religiologEng another thing I like to ask was what were the anomalies in their statistics.

[@religiologEng]

uff, sorry I don't remember any. There might be though

[@THEMAN2bcjxnxmd]

​@religiologEng this out of topic but another question is is their statically evidence of positive attributes that religious people have.

[@religiologEng]

please check this video of mine kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5yQY2aEYtl6qNk

[@jessebryant9233]

Or maybe because they come to believe that the religion they've chosen is... true?

[@religiologEng]

of course, it's hard to be a part of some religion if you aren't convinced that it's true. However, very often the way how people come to such conclusion is not through an attempt to logically understand your faith. People rarely dig deeply into dogmas of their religion. It is more common to trust those who say that it's true and who already practice it.

[@jessebryant9233]

@@religiologEng Same goes for the religion that is secular humanism, no? Do atheists and those who embrace a naturalistic worldview come to such conclusions "through an attempt to logically understand your faith"? I contend that they do not. Naturalism is not for critical thinkers, it is the blind faith of the intellectually lazy. They appeal only to their own "lack of belief" and then appeal to the statements of the prophets of their faith, the "scientists", who all too often, say very unscientific things. In fact, it is impossible for any atheist to make a positive, scientific, evidence based case FOR their own naturalistic faith position. Which is why nobody in the history of the world ever has. Those who embrace the naturalistic view, do some simply on blind faith and NOT because they through deeply about it or the implications of it. They just... believe. And unable to defend their faith, they call their positive and/or ignorant position, a "lack of belief". Such intellectual dishonestly and childlike shenanigans. Sad.