List of ex-atheists
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of people who accepted atheism for a time and then abandoned it in favor of a different philosophical or metaphysical position.
[edit] Converts to Christianity
- Steve Beren-Former member of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) who became a Christian conservative politician.[1]
- Francis Collins-Geneticist who was an atheist in graduate school, but then returned to Christianity.
- Emir Kusturica-Filmmaker who converted to the Serbian Orthodox Church.
- Ignace Lepp-French psychiatrist, became a Catholic.
- Luca Lionello-Actor who reportedly became Catholic while working on The Passion of the Christ
- C.S. Lewis-writer who was an atheist as a young man but converted to Christianity and wrote many books about his faith.
- Enoch Powell-Conservative Party (UK) member who converted to Anglicanism.
- George R. Price-Geneticist who converted to Christianity. Later lapsed from that, but remained theistic.
- Edith Stein-Phenomenologist philosopher who converted to Catholicism and became a Discalced Carmelite nun; declared a saint by John Paul II.
- Lee Strobel-Self described former atheist and Christian writer.
- Monty White-Creationist.
- Ravi Zacharias-Became an Evangelical Christian after a suicide attempt.
- Anna Haycraft-Raised in Auguste Comte's atheistic "church of humanity", but became a conservative Catholic in adulthood.
- Gabriel Marcel-Existentialist philosopher who became a Catholic.
- William Murray (author)-Son of Madalyn Murray O'Hair who became a Born again preacher.
[edit] Converts to Islam
- Nancy Ajram-Lebanese singer who converted to Atheism from Islam but returned to Islam.
- Jeffrey Lang-Mathematician who adopted atheism at 18, but is now Muslim.
[edit] Other Ex-atheists
- John Dobson (astronomer)-Atheist who joined the Vedanta Society.
- Ulf Ekman-Former member of the Communist Party (Sweden) who founded Livets Ord.
- Anthony Flew-Became a non-religious deist.
- Moses Hess-Socialist philosopher and Left Hegelian who first influenced Karl Marx in his criticism of religion and who then became a Jew with pantheist views