Hello, I am a college student trying to write a paper on the process of deconversion. As part of this paper I am asking anyone who has deconverted, meaning they are currently atheists but were once religious, about themselves and their deconversion experience. The questions can be found by following the surveymonkey link below. I get that you might not trust links provided by random strangers on the internet. PC World and MakeUseOf both have good articles on the subject which link to some of these tools.
If you have any questions please contact me at email is no longer checked
As a final note, I'm in a bit of a time crunch and the survey shouldn't take more than 20 minutes. Every response is a huge help for me. Thank you.
Removed link.
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Do you attend a christian college?
I attend Swarthmore College which was founded by Quakers but is no longer religiously affiliated.
@Grinseed Re: OP
Hey, Grin, supposedly this guy is an atheist. Makes me a bit dubious about going to that site. Homestly, he would be better off simply posting his questions in his OP. Likely get more responses that way. Seems to me if he were truly an atheist he might already know this. Just sayin'....
Edit to add: Yo, Pat! Posting your questions directly in the OP might get better results for you. Personally, I rarely go to sites such as the ones you linked.
SurveyMonkey is not a malicious site. I've never used this website before and this seemed like the best place to post. I am an atheist, I've just never used this website. What is the OP? I might not post there, my draft is due tomorrow and I finally have the number of responses my professor requires.
OP = Opening Post
rmfr
Valid point Tin...but I still want to know if this survey has come from a christian college...he could
well be an atheist in a christian joint...or he's angling for more responses posing as an atheist...yes I know I'm cynical old bugger...Cynic was my nickname in high school...I just find all these college surveys a lil weird...are we witnessing a new generation of apologists who are being trained to target atheist viewpoints?...just because I'm acting paranoid doesnt mean they arent out to get us.
:p
@Grinseed
Oh, no, you aren't being paranoid at all. I actually agree with you. My bad for the misunderstanding. When I said the dude is an atheist, I should have put quotation marks around "atheist". Yeah, I'm just as skeptical as you are. lol
I don't know anything about any other surveys. My assignment is to study some group, community, or space and write about my findings. Since the number of atheists in the US is growing more rapidly than population growth could account for I know there must be a significant number of deconverts. I am a lifelong atheist and I am interested in understanding what drives deconvert atheists. I understand why you might be paranoid and obviously if you are closeted and afraid that exposure will harm you don't reply to the survey.
@Patrick
Howdy! Welcome to our little corner of godless Neanderthals. Please forgive the initial "cold" and skeptical response. Sadly, as of late, we have been getting an influx of "questionable questionnaires" from folks of questionable intent. Tends to make one a bit wary, as you might expect, especially when being directed to a different site. And, yes, we have had a few theists before stroll up in here under the guise of being an atheist just so they could wreak havoc outside the Debate Forum. Anyway, enough about that...
Just thought you deserved an explanation. No hard feelings, I hope. We actually have a pretty cool place here with a great group of folks. Please feel free to hang around and join in the mix whenever you get a chance. Hope to see you around.
Edit to add: Oh, by the way, the "OP" is the Original Post. The thread starter, in other words.
This is the second survey in two days directing us to another site. They sre getting less personal all the time...."Go here...answer...hurry...thanks"...followed by the sound of crickets.
I don't know anything about any other surveys. I posted this very late at night and I've had a very busy morning. I just now have time to look at the responses to this post.
No idea but I gave them an ear full. Actually that is writing so I put a bunch of ink in their eyes. I left only a first name and a junk E-mail address. They certainly do not need more than that.
Please don't leave troll responses, I'm sincere about this study. If I was conducting interviews in person I would ask you to sign a consent form with your name, the date, and an email/phone number you could be reached at for any follow-up questions. The final question on the survey serves this purpose. Please don't be an ass about this.
And if I leave an E-mail and a first name, you can type out your questions and send them to me. You don't need a last name or a phone number and if that screws up your consent then just delete my response.
I will give Patrick Weiss the benefit of the doubt because Swathmore was mentioned, and it is a non-religious institution that actually teaches.
Thank you for taking the time to respond.
"I am asking anyone who has deconverted, meaning they are currently atheists but were once religious, about themselves and their deconversion experience."
Gosh. Now I am insulted. I think I am one of the very few who never deconverted. In a very loose interpretation, I could say once I could stop "faking" being a believer...
rmfr
EDIT: as Cognostic put it, I took the survey anyway and "gave them an earful."
I am specifically interested in people who have left religion. I expect that the social pressure to stay in a religion is enormous and I'd like to know more about who leaves and why they leave despite this pressure. As a lifelong atheist I have not experienced this and I'm curious to know more. If you are someone who was forced to feign religiousness but are an atheist then your survey input is welcome.
@ Patrick Weiss Re: "Welcomed Input"
Problem is, I looked at the survey and felt that there ain't enough room to put everything about why I had to "fake" it. Could put it here, but it would still be kind of long. Here goes an attempt to not be verbose. Besides, I hate surveys. I'd just rather be asked and spiel it out. Let you use what you want to use. And if necessary, ask questions for more information. Basically like an interview. I'll do interviews, just not surveys.
The main reason I had to "fake religiousness" is because of where I grew up in the Baptist Bible Belt AND the time I grew up there. You see it was the dawn of man and even as the eldest child, I had to chase tyranosaurs and raptors out of the back yard so my siblings could play. Ask Ken Ham. He'll tell you dinosaurs were on that ark with man...
The State of North Carolina where I grew up actually had laws making it perfectly legal for "disruptive" students to be disciplined with coporal punishment (physical abuse). This even included the Sunday School classes at the churches. The easiest summation is I "faked religiousness" so the Pastors of the churches and me own mom would quit beating the hell out of me for asking legitimate questions. I was even excommunicated from two churches before I finally capitulated and "faked" being saved and becoming a believer. Basically, another way to put it was that the churches were allowed to "beat the devil out" and "coerce good Christian in." What a crock of shit...
I am also the only one here (fairly certain I may be) who believes ALL religion should be eradicated and ALL religious believers exterminated. However, I also do NOT wish for this because it goes completely against mine own beliefs in the humanist beliefs system. It would be completely inhumane. By the way, why do we call animal abuse inhumane, but don't call human abuse inanimal?
Although that is something I greatly desire, I would much rather prefer that everyone takes the red pill and unplugs. Throw off the shackles of religion and use one's own abilities for critical thinking, logical and deductive reasoning, rational and analytical thought. Become the "true" humans they were meant to be. To stop being the robots force fed the data and told what to think. I believe it to be more important how to think than to be told what to think. Searching for knowledge and learning is what it means to be human instead of a religious robot. There is no shame in being self-taught, seaching for that knowledge and learning. The only shame is not searching in the first place.
Hope not too verbose. Any further questions? Ask away.
rmfr
I apologise Patrick and I accept your explanation. Good luck with your paper. And come back for discussions and the like when you have time. There is always room for another viewpoint.. This is a good atheist site if you can avoid the paranoid crazies.
@Grinseed Re: "This is a good atheist site if you can avoid the paranoid crazies."
Dammit, Grin! How many times do I have to tell you? I wouldn't be so damn paranoid if everybody wasn't out to get me!
@ Tin-Man Re: "Paranoia"
Just because everyone is out to get you, doesn't you have to be paranoid.
rmfr
@Arakish Re: "Just because everyone is out to get you, doesn't you have to be paranoid."
*peeking out from crack of barely opened door*.... You're just saying that because you're out to get me! Hah! I ain't fallin' for it!.... *quickly slams door shut*.... *starts locking all twelve interior locks*.....
@ Tin-Man Re: "Just saying that"
If I were out to get you me self, then why I am guarding the door on the outside?
rmfr
@Arakish, he has set you up for when they do come. Run, you fool.
@Arakish
*muffled yelling through door*.... NO, no, no! Don't listen to Grinseed! He LIES!!!.... *feeding garden hose through small port in door*.... Here, Arakish! You look thirsty! Have some water! I've mixed it with some of the Miracle Grow stuff you like so much!..... *brief pause*... Oh, and here is some silver sun screen! Wouldn't want you to get burnt standing out there in that hot sun! Make sure you put it allllll over yourself!.... *passing small container of silver paint through door port*... Like I said, Grinseed has no idea what he is talking about! You just feel free to stay out there as long as you like!..... *drilling and hammering sounds of extra lock being added to interior of door*.....
Thank you to everyone who responded to the survey. My project finished a few weeks ago so I will be removing the survey link because I have no need for more responses.