Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Atheists Confess What Would Actually Change Their Minds About Religion

Atheists Confess What Would Actually Change Their Minds About Religion
@yomommasofat3/Reddit
Make us preferred on Google

When it comes to religion, a person either believes in a god or doesn't believe that a higher power exists.

But people are more complex than that. As we evolve throughout our respective journeys in life, we are known to vacillate between conforming to some ideas while dismissing others.

What we used to believe in no longer applies based on our negative experiences and vice versa.

Does it work the same way with faith and believing in God?


Curious to hear from non-religious people online, Redditor Graysie-Redux asked:

"Atheists of Reddit: What could change your mind?"

The proof is in the pudding.

Proper Comeuppance

"Every single paedophile/rapist in religious positions of power being simultaneously struck by lightning."

– serharridan

Evidence

"Any actual evidence. Also change my mind about which god(s)? Yahweh, Zeus, Osiris, Amaterasu?"

"I'm always amused by people not understanding what athiesm is. It's not a belief. Its a rejection of a claim and that's it. It's not what evidence would convince me otherwise, it's what evidence do you have. I observe said evidence and say that's not sufficient evidence because..."

– Rdr198829

Deeper Persuasion Required

"Nothing could suddenly change my mind into believing in the Christian (all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving) God. Proof of an entity with reality-changing powers would certainly change my world-view, but only to the point where I recognize that such a thing exists in the known universe. Ability does not imply divinity (or altruism)"

– Piercewise1

A Father's Experience After A Heart Attack

"My dad is an atheist, and had a major heart attack last year which came extremely close to killing him many times. He was in a coma for more than a month."

"During that time, several Christian family members wondered if he was having a religious experience, had seen/spoken to god or maybe his late daughter as an angel, and would awake as a religious man now."

"I said there was zero chance. Even if he did actually have these experiences and then come out of the coma and tell us about them, he would never say 'I talked to god while I was in a coma.' He would say 'The chemicals in my brain did an interesting thing while I was in a coma.'”

"As it happened, he did live and was able to tell us about his experience. None of it was remotely religious. It was mostly memories of thinking the hospital staff were torturing him."

"The closest thing he had during the coma was a dream where he saw my wife telling him that my dead sister and my wife’s dead sister were talking in heaven."

– PRGuyHere

These atheists believe in heavy sarcasm.

The Mythic Creature

"As a former atheist, what changed my mind was that, i learned the flying spaghetti monster existed."

– ThundaCrossSplitAtak

Egyptian Deity

"Christians, what would convince you to worship the Egyptian god Ra?"

– RedofPaw

"Whichever one, Christ or Ra, shows up in front of me first and bitch slaps me."

"Edit: if one of you offering to slap me are a God please teleport to my location to prove it you coward."

– RikenVorkovin

Money Talks

"I don't even need proof. I'll believe in him for €10m. I accept cash."

– ShadyShamaster

"Now that's a conversion method I could get into."

– yomommasofat3

The jury is still out for these Redditors.

Time To See Someone

"Don't know if there's anything. If some god appeared I'd still wonder if this was some hallucination and make an appointment with a psychologist."

– Destriant_of_Perish

Seeing Is Believing

"I think for me god would have to appear on a societal level in addition to seeing them myself. If my friends and relatives (who are also mostly atheist or agnostic) testified to also seeing god, as well as the general public and it became a known thing that god was real and making appearances I would probably believe it too."

– Feral_doves

Hearing It From The Source

"A god showing me they're real."

"Not a person telling me why their god is real. That's evidence of nothing."

"Gods shouldn't need middlemen."

– Vic_Hedges

There is not enough convincing that can persuade atheists to believe in an all-powerful, omniscient entity.

Many of them would attest to a higher power if they could be presented with tangible evidence of its existence.

Yet, I'm pretty sure most people who claim to have faith have not witnessed any appearances by God.

So this is an interesting conversation about what leads people to believe or completely dismiss the possibility that there might be something greater out there than any of us can ever imagine.

What do you think?

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshot of Ron DeSantis
Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Podcast

Ron DeSantis Just Ripped Republicans Who Claim That High Gas Prices Are 'No Big Deal'

On the eve of the midterm elections, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis surprised observers by criticizing Republicans who've downplayed the impact high gas prices have had on the electorate.

Americans continue to struggle with a nationwide affordability crisis hurting their wallets as well as at the pump. Because of the war President Donald Trump began with Iran earlier this year—and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz—the global oil supply has been limited, causing a surge in prices.

Keep ReadingShow less
Abdul El-Sayed; JD Vance
Salwan Georges/Getty Images; Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images)

Victorious Abdul El-Sayed Points Out The 'Delicious Irony' Of What JD Vance Will Have To Do—And It's Too Good

After his historic defeat of Michigan Republican Mike Rogers in the state's U.S. Senate race, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed had observers cackling after he reminded his crowd of supporters that Vice President JD Vance will now have to swear him in.

It was a triumphant moment for El-Sayed, particularly after Vance had mispronounced his name at a rally on Friday at an Ohio steel plant before accusing him of arguing that "criticisms of Sharia law were rooted in white supremacy."

Keep ReadingShow less
Amy Poehler
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

Amy Poehler Sparks Debate After Claiming She Was Forced To Leave 'SNL' After Giving Birth Despite Wanting To Return

It might be late 2026, but there are still plenty of women who find their work compromised, if not taken away entirely, when they decide to become moms.

With women facing unpaid maternity leave, their jobs being taken away while they're on leave, or their hours or pay being reduced after they give birth, new moms are losing work opportunities all the time.

Keep ReadingShow less

French Actor Léa Seydoux's Disgusted Reaction To Nearly Every Food Item In Tasting Interview Has The Internet Cackling

Remember being forced to try a food you already knew you weren't going to like? Maybe you took a tiny bite just to be polite, smiled through the disappointment, and quietly vowed never to eat it again.

Well, French actor Léa Seydoux wasn't about to pretend her taste buds approved during an Elle UK food-tasting interview, and the internet is having an absolute field day with her reactions.

Keep ReadingShow less
P!nk
Theo Wargo/Tony Awards Productions/Getty Images

P!nk Responds After Photo Of Her Without Makeup Sparks Cruel Looks-Shaming Comments

P!nk has come under fire lately for her controversial and divisive political views, prompting many people to respond cruelly to just about any post concerning her.

So when the 47-year-old Grammy winner was recently photographed in New York City without makeup on, the internet trolls were the loudest commenters to show up. Shared by Page Six, the candid photo showed the singer without makeup, wearing a purple sweatsuit and brown and white headwrap, and carrying her small dog in a cream crossbody bag.

Keep ReadingShow less