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Interesting. 'These stories have shown that there are a number of ways of supporting Christians who make steps towards de-conversion, but in almost every single case it appears that the doubt that led to de-conversion came from within the individual.'
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Quote: “He was not critical, but kept asking questions about why I took to this religion and specifically required that I put things in my own words instead of mouthing what I had been told. He made me think! and that’s all it took.”
I’m sorry, but the implications of that statement are kind of sad.
As to “de-conversion” coming from within…
Yes at this stage of the game it would HAVE to wouldn’t it? For it to come from “without” there would need to be an equal and opposite societal pressure which could challenge the centuries-old, ingrained attitudes and traditions almost every culture has in regard to religious faith. Which is to say conversion and de-conversion are not equivalent forces. When one seeks to convert another, one can simply draw-on and refocus a weighty, ancient, multifaceted cultural imperative. When one seeks to de-convert another on the other hand, one must effectively counter all of it. It’s no wonder the stats aren’t high on outside de-conversion, a minority voice has a hard time reaching majority ears.
Many people resist their OWN intuitions and suspicions when it comes to faith, good luck getting anyone to listed you YOURS.
Or so it seems to me at least.
Yes, a couple of comparisons would be interesting. One would be to compare de-conversion stories with conversion stories — both godless people who find religion, and people who switch from one faith to another — and the other would be to compare de-conversions from overtly religious countries like the USA or Iran with those from largely irreligious countries like Finland or Japan.
But, fuck me, is this a joke? What’s the difference between aetheism (in this form) and religious belief? Unless there is something intrinsically dehumanising in deism, why should anyone see any benefit in switching from one worldview to another? It’s not as though there are any more or less good people on either side. It’s not as though a life lived by the rigorous application of scientific principles is any more fulfilling than a life lived according to religious conviction.
Fucking nasty business. Leave people alone.
Not everyone would agree that your assumptions are self-evident.