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*[http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/102-atheists-and-agnostics-take-aim-at-christians Atheists and Agnostics Take Aim at Christians]</ref> In addition, there is the historical matter of [[Atheism and deception|deceit being used in a major way to propagate atheism from the time of Charles Darwin onward.]] Also, [[Atheism and moral depravity|Bible exegesis points to the moral depravity of atheists.]] Moral depravity is certainly one of the prime causes of atheism. [[Francis Thompson]] wrote: "Maybe the atheist cannot find [[God]] for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman." (see also: [[Atheism and morality]] )
*[http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/102-atheists-and-agnostics-take-aim-at-christians Atheists and Agnostics Take Aim at Christians]</ref> In addition, there is the historical matter of [[Atheism and deception|deceit being used in a major way to propagate atheism from the time of Charles Darwin onward.]] Also, [[Atheism and moral depravity|Bible exegesis points to the moral depravity of atheists.]] Moral depravity is certainly one of the prime causes of atheism. [[Francis Thompson]] wrote: "Maybe the atheist cannot find [[God]] for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman." (see also: [[Atheism and morality]] )
2. '''Atheistic upbringing'''. However, according to recent research by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, in the [[United States]], a majority of those surveyed who were raised in atheist or [[agnosticism|agnostic]] households, or where there was no specific religious attachment, later chose to join a religious faith.<ref>http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/defectors-to-faith-mark-a-growing-trend/story-e6frg7ko-1225710667095</ref><ref>http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1204/religion-changes-affiliations-survey</ref> A notable example, of a person raised in a atheistic household who later became a [[Christian]] is William J. Murray. Mr. Murray was raised by [[Madalyn Murray O'Hair]] who founded the organization American Atheists. In addition, Christianity is experiencing rapid growth in atheistic [[communism|communist]] China and has experienced rapid growth in former communist countries. <ref>http://www.millennialstar.org/christianity-exploding-in-china/</ref><ref>http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/shows/cwn/2008/August/Christianity-Growing-in-China-/</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/03/international/europe/03romania.html</ref>
2. '''Hatred towards God.''' Angry, bitter and juvenile attacks on Christianity and Christians are due to hatred towards [[Jesus Christ]] and the Bible.<ref>[http://creation.com/chris-hitchens-dies Christopher Hitchens: Staring Death in the Face And the difference that Biblical Creation makes!]</ref><ref>[http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/argument-atheism-immaturity The Argument for Atheism from Immaturity]</ref>
3. '''Rebellion:''' Atheism stems from a deliberate choice to ignore the reality of God's existence <ref>"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse..." —{{Bible ref|Romans|1|19-20|version=NKJV}}</ref> [[Dinesh D'Souza]] declared: "Look at [[Satan]]'s reason for rebelling against God. It's not that he doesn't recognize that God is greater than he is. He does. It's just that he doesn't want to play by anybody else's rules. This idea that it is better to reign in [[hell]] than to serve in [[heaven]] is Satan's motto, and it turns out that this is also the motto of contemporary atheists such as [[Christopher Hitchens]]." <ref>[http://www.salvomag.com/new/articles/salvo7/7segelstein.php Salvomag.com The Apologist, An Interview with Dinesh D'Souza, Author of What's So Great About Christianity by Marcia Segelstein]</ref>
3. '''Atheistic upbringing'''. However, according to recent research by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, in the [[United States]], a majority of those surveyed who were raised in atheist or [[agnosticism|agnostic]] households, or where there was no specific religious attachment, later chose to join a religious faith.<ref>http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/defectors-to-faith-mark-a-growing-trend/story-e6frg7ko-1225710667095</ref><ref>http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1204/religion-changes-affiliations-survey</ref> A notable example, of a person raised in a atheistic household who later became a [[Christian]] is William J. Murray. Mr. Murray was raised by [[Madalyn Murray O'Hair]] who founded the organization American Atheists. In addition, Christianity is experiencing rapid growth in atheistic [[communism|communist]] China and has experienced rapid growth in former communist countries. <ref>http://www.millennialstar.org/christianity-exploding-in-china/</ref><ref>http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/shows/cwn/2008/August/Christianity-Growing-in-China-/</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/03/international/europe/03romania.html</ref>
4. '''Naiveté/Gullibility''': Many atheists have embraced a number of far fetched, unworkable, and errant notions and ideologies such as [[communism]], [[Origin of Life|abiogenesis]], and [[evolution]] despite abundant evidence of their falsity. See also: [[Causes of evolutionary belief]]
4. '''Rebellion:''' Atheism stems from a deliberate choice to ignore the reality of God's existence <ref>"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse..." —{{Bible ref|Romans|1|19-20|version=NKJV}}</ref> [[Dinesh D'Souza]] declared: "Look at [[Satan]]'s reason for rebelling against God. It's not that he doesn't recognize that God is greater than he is. He does. It's just that he doesn't want to play by anybody else's rules. This idea that it is better to reign in [[hell]] than to serve in [[heaven]] is Satan's motto, and it turns out that this is also the motto of contemporary atheists such as [[Christopher Hitchens]]." <ref>[http://www.salvomag.com/new/articles/salvo7/7segelstein.php Salvomag.com The Apologist, An Interview with Dinesh D'Souza, Author of What's So Great About Christianity by Marcia Segelstein]</ref>
5. '''Irrational thinking''': As noted earlier, a comprehensive study by Baylor University found that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in [[pseudoscience]] than evangelical Christians.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref> Also, as noted above, a 1980 study published in the magazine ''Skeptical Inquirer'' found irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born again Christian college students were found to be the least likely.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref>
5. '''Naiveté/Gullibility''': Many atheists have embraced a number of far fetched, unworkable, and errant notions and ideologies such as [[communism]], [[Origin of Life|abiogenesis]], and [[evolution]] despite abundant evidence of their falsity. See also: [[Causes of evolutionary belief]]
6. '''Superficiality:''' Noted [[ex-atheists|ex-atheist]] and psychologist Dr. [[Paul Vitz]] has stated that he had superficial reasons for becoming an atheist such as the desire to be accepted by his [[Stanford University]] professors who were united in disbelief regarding God.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt</ref>
6. '''Irrational thinking''': As noted earlier, a comprehensive study by Baylor University found that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in [[pseudoscience]] than evangelical Christians.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref> Also, as noted above, a 1980 study published in the magazine ''Skeptical Inquirer'' found irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born again Christian college students were found to be the least likely.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref>
7. '''Superficiality:''' Noted [[ex-atheists|ex-atheist]] and psychologist Dr. [[Paul Vitz]] has stated that he had superficial reasons for becoming an atheist such as the desire to be accepted by his [[Stanford University]] professors who were united in disbelief regarding God.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt</ref>
[[File:Evolution.jpg|alt=evolution darwin theory|right|thumb|235px|Late in [[Charles Darwin|Charles Darwin's]] life, Darwin told the Duke of Argyll that he frequently had overwhelming thoughts that the natural world was the [[Intelligent design|result of design]].<ref>http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/teleological-arguments/notes.html</ref> In a letter to [[Asa Gray]], Darwin confided: "...I am quite conscious that my speculations run quite beyond the bounds of true [[science]]."<ref>http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/entry-2109</ref> See: [[Irreligion and superstition]] and [http://conservapedia.com/Charles_Darwin#Religious_Views_of_Charles_Darwin Religious views of Charles Darwin] ]]
[[File:Evolution.jpg|alt=evolution darwin theory|right|thumb|235px|Late in [[Charles Darwin|Charles Darwin's]] life, Darwin told the Duke of Argyll that he frequently had overwhelming thoughts that the natural world was the [[Intelligent design|result of design]].<ref>http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/teleological-arguments/notes.html</ref> In a letter to [[Asa Gray]], Darwin confided: "...I am quite conscious that my speculations run quite beyond the bounds of true [[science]]."<ref>http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/entry-2109</ref> See: [[Irreligion and superstition]] and [http://conservapedia.com/Charles_Darwin#Religious_Views_of_Charles_Darwin Religious views of Charles Darwin] ]]
8. '''Error:''' Some argue that atheism partly stems from a failure to fairly and judiciously consider the facts <ref>"A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere--'Bibles laid open, millions of surprises,' as Herbert says, 'fine nets and stratagems.' God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous." -- C.S. Lewis, ''Surprised by Joy''.</ref>
9. '''State churches:''' In regards to the causes of atheism, rates of atheism are much higher in countries with a state sanctioned religion (such as many European countries), and lower in states without a sanctioned religion (such as the United States). Some argue this is because state churches become bloated, corrupt, and/or out of touch with the religious intuitions of the population, while churches independent of the state are leaner and more adaptable. It is important to distinguish "state-sanctioned churches," where participation is voluntary, from "state-mandated churches" (such as Saudi Arabia) with much lower atheism rates because publicly admitted atheism is punishable by death. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118434936941966055.html?mod=googlenews_wsj</ref>
10. '''Self-deception'''<ref>[http://creation.com/atheism Atheism - Satanic deception and self-deception]</ref>
11. '''[[Satan|Satanic]] deception''' <ref>[http://creation.com/atheism Atheism - Satanic deception and self-deception]</ref> (''see also'': [[Atheism and satanic deception]] )
12. '''Poor relationship with father:''' Some argue that a troubled/non-existent relationship with a father may influence one of the causes of atheism.<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).</ref><ref>Anders, Kerby, [http://www.probe.org/content/view/36/91/ Atheists and Their Fathers] (Probe Ministries)</ref> Dr. Vitz also examined the lives of prominent theists who were contemporaneous to their atheist counterparts and from the same culture and in every instance these prominent theists had a good relationship with his father.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt</ref> Dr. Vitz has also stated other common factors he observed in the leading atheists he profiled: they were all intelligent and arrogant.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt</ref>
13. '''Division in religion''': According to [[Francis Bacon]], atheism is caused by "divisions in religion, if they be many; for any one main division addeth zeal to both sides, but many divisions introduce atheism." <ref>http://www.philosophyofreligion.info/ofatheism.html</ref>
14. '''Learned times, peace, and prosperity''': Francis Bacon argued that atheism was partly caused by "Learned times, specially with peace and prosperity; for troubles and adversities do more bow men’s minds to religion."<ref>http://www.philosophyofreligion.info/ofatheism.html</ref>
[[Judaism|Jewish]] columnist [[Dennis Prager]] has stated that one of the causes of atheism is the "secular indoctrination of a generation." <ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=43734</ref> Prager stated that "From elementary school through graduate school, only one way of looking at the world – the secular – is presented. The typical individual in the [[Western World|Western world]] receives as secular an indoctrination as the typical European received a religious one in the [[Middle Ages]]."<ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=4373</ref> In addition, in [[communism|communist]] countries (such as the former Soviet Union) atheistic indoctrination occurred in the educational system through such venues as schools, atheist museums, and clubs.<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=AL_Jq-7VV0YC&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=soviet+schools,+atheism,+and+religion+and+john+dunstan&source=bl&ots=Rk5y6MkjgW&sig=Xy3ubZljkcNJpRcoi_an6kMu5Xk&hl=en&ei=9-q1S7K_L4K8lQeclaBj&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=soviet%20schools%2C%20atheism%2C%20and%20religion%20and%20john%20dunstan&f=false</ref><ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=BGJtDwJ7aPwC&pg=PA325&lpg=PA325&dq=atheistic+upbringing+and+atheism&source=bl&ots=eQlq1dZfMj&sig=Xm__18YZpV5L0O8VVzgAc9YiSCc&hl=en&ei=yOy1S76CGcWAlAedg5FR&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBIQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage&q=atheistic%20upbringing%20and%20atheism&f=false</ref> Atheists and secularists rarely point out that universities such as [[Harvard]], [[Princeton]], [[Oxford]], [[Cambridge]], and many others were founded by [[Christianity|Christians]].<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n3/harvard-yale-princeton-oxford-once-christian</ref><ref>http://www.tysknews.com/Depts/Educate/history_part3.htm</ref>
[[Judaism|Jewish]] columnist [[Dennis Prager]] has stated that one of the causes of atheism is the "secular indoctrination of a generation." <ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=43734</ref> Prager stated that "From elementary school through graduate school, only one way of looking at the world – the secular – is presented. The typical individual in the [[Western World|Western world]] receives as secular an indoctrination as the typical European received a religious one in the [[Middle Ages]]."<ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=4373</ref> In addition, in [[communism|communist]] countries (such as the former Soviet Union) atheistic indoctrination occurred in the educational system through such venues as schools, atheist museums, and clubs.<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=AL_Jq-7VV0YC&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=soviet+schools,+atheism,+and+religion+and+john+dunstan&source=bl&ots=Rk5y6MkjgW&sig=Xy3ubZljkcNJpRcoi_an6kMu5Xk&hl=en&ei=9-q1S7K_L4K8lQeclaBj&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=soviet%20schools%2C%20atheism%2C%20and%20religion%20and%20john%20dunstan&f=false</ref><ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=BGJtDwJ7aPwC&pg=PA325&lpg=PA325&dq=atheistic+upbringing+and+atheism&source=bl&ots=eQlq1dZfMj&sig=Xm__18YZpV5L0O8VVzgAc9YiSCc&hl=en&ei=yOy1S76CGcWAlAedg5FR&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBIQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage&q=atheistic%20upbringing%20and%20atheism&f=false</ref> Atheists and secularists rarely point out that universities such as [[Harvard]], [[Princeton]], [[Oxford]], [[Cambridge]], and many others were founded by [[Christianity|Christians]].<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n3/harvard-yale-princeton-oxford-once-christian</ref><ref>http://www.tysknews.com/Depts/Educate/history_part3.htm</ref>
[[Image:GustaveDoreParadiseLostSatanProfile.jpg|right|thumbnail|200px|Gustave Doré's depiction of [[Satan]] from [[John Milton]]'s Paradise Lost. See: [[Atheism and deception]] and [[Atheism and satanic deception]] ]]
[[Image:GustaveDoreParadiseLostSatanProfile.jpg|right|thumbnail|200px|Gustave Doré's depiction of [[Satan]] from [[John Milton]]'s Paradise Lost. See: [[Atheism and deception]] and [[Atheism and satanic deception]] ]]
15. '''Negative experiences with [[theism|theists]].'''
16. '''[[Scientism]]:''' ''Science has in many ways become a new god''. <ref>[http://www.geocities.com/skepticsweb/psychology.htm Why Atheism?]</ref>
==See Also==
==See Also==