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Biet-Hallahmi, author of ''Atheism, A Psychological Profile'', in ''The Cambridge Companion to Atheism'', wrote, “…what these individuals [the most elite] had, in addition to their creativity and high intelligence, was a strong wish to create distance between themselves and their parents.”   

Biet-Hallahmi, author of ''Atheism, A Psychological Profile'', in ''The Cambridge Companion to Atheism'', wrote, “…what these individuals [the most elite] had, in addition to their creativity and high intelligence, was a strong wish to create distance between themselves and their parents.”   

 

The ''Cambridge Companion to [[Atheism]]'' which was edited by the atheist [[philosophy|philosopher]] [[Michael Martin]] declared:

The ''Cambridge Companion to [[Atheism]]'' which was edited by the atheist [[philosophy|philosopher]] [[Michael Martin]] declared:

{{cquote|Continuity and discontinuity in any identity may be a function of interpersonal networks, especially involving intimate relations. Apostasy and conversion can both be seen as a rejection of parental identity and parental beliefs. It “might well be symptomatic of familial strain and dissociation... apostasy is to be viewed as a form of rebellion against parents” (Caplovitz and Sherrow, 1977:50).<ref>''The Cambridge Companion to Atheism'', edited by [[Michael Martin]], page 302, published in 2006</ref>}}

{{cquote|Continuity and discontinuity in any identity may be a function of interpersonal networks, especially involving intimate relations. Apostasy and conversion can both be seen as a rejection of parental identity and parental beliefs. It “might well be symptomatic of familial strain and dissociation... apostasy is to be viewed as a form of rebellion against parents” (Caplovitz and Sherrow, 1977:50).<ref>''The Cambridge Companion to Atheism'', edited by [[Michael Martin]], page 302, published in 2006</ref>}}

 

A troubled/non-existent relationship with a father can influence a person to become an atheist.<ref>http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth12.html</ref>  Dr. [[Paul Vitz]] wrote a book entitled ''Faith of the Fatherless'' in which he points out that after studying the lives of more than a dozen leading atheists he found that a large majority of them had a father who was present but weak, present but abusive, or absent.<ref>

A troubled/non-existent relationship with a father can influence a person to become an atheist.<ref>http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth12.html</ref>  Dr. [[Paul Vitz]] wrote a book entitled ''Faith of the Fatherless'' in which he points out that after studying the lives of more than a dozen leading atheists he found that a large majority of them had a father who was present but weak, present but abusive, or absent.<ref>

*Vitz, Paul, [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt The Psychology of Atheism], September 24, 1997 (lecture notes taken by an audience member).

*Vitz, Paul, [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt The Psychology of Atheism], September 24, 1997 (lecture notes taken by an audience member).