High profile "conversions" to Atheism?

ravendude

I know there are a few books from Pastors that "converted" (if that is the right word, I hate that it sounds like proselytizing) to Atheism.
I wonder if we will ever see the day that a Bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal would ever come out and say that they now acknowledge that there is no God and it is all a big cod.
Have we ever even seen a catholic priest in this country come out and say they think they got it all wrong, and there is not god?
I think it would be an example of phenomenal bravery for someone to come out and make such an acknowledgement after say decades of basing their lives on a lie.

Sulla Felix

Posting on the run, will be back to discuss a few entrants later! Looks like there's a couple of serving pastors, preachers and orthodox priest from my brief look.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_converts_to_Nontheism

gaynorvader

I believe they are almost always described as having "lost their faith".

endacl

gaynorvader wrote: »

I believe they are almost always described as having "lost their faith".

Lost your faith? What did your faith look like? Where did you last see it?

recedite

ravendude wrote: »

I wonder if we will ever see the day that a Bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal would ever come out and say that they now acknowledge that there is no God and it is all a big cod.

I doubt it; they have privileged lifestyles. Why would you go from hero to zero just to advertise your unbelief? The first big problem would be trying to find a proper job and somewhere to live, next biggest would be locating the dole office.

Piliger

ravendude wrote: »

I wonder if we will ever see the day that a Bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal would ever come out and say that they now acknowledge that there is no God and it is all a big cod.

Didn't an english bishop in the anglican or church of england do this about ten years ago ? A cheerful, real world really amusing guy ... can't recall his name.

ravendude

recedite wrote: »

I doubt it; they have privileged lifestyles. Why would you go from hero to zero just to advertise your unbelief? The first big problem would be trying to find a proper job and somewhere to live, next biggest would be locating the dole office.

Yeah, I think the "career move" would be the biggest barrier. I have no doubt that honesty in this department would amount to complete ostracisation, and it's not like these guys tend to have transferable skills in the jobs market.

Kiwi in IE

Thread should be immediately renamed 'High profile realisations of reality'!

Peregrinus

ravendude wrote: »

. . . Have we ever even seen a catholic priest in this country come out and say they think they got it all wrong, and there is not god?

I think it would be an example of phenomenal bravery for someone to come out and make such an acknowledgement after say decades of basing their lives on a lie.

Well, using this terminology isn't going to make that act of "phenomenal bravery" any easier, is it?

If at one point in my life I believe X, but I later come to believe Y or, more simply, not to believe X, that doesn’t retrospectively convert my former belief in X into a “lie”.

Piliger wrote: »

Didn't an english bishop in the anglican or church of england do this about ten years ago ? A cheerful, real world really amusing guy ... can't recall his name.

Are you thinking of Richard Holloway?

Hotblack Desiato

ravendude wrote: »

Yeah, I think the "career move" would be the biggest barrier. I have no doubt that honesty in this department would amount to complete ostracisation, and it's not like these guys tend to have transferable skills in the jobs market.

Lots of priests do leave though, marriage is usually given as the excuse but I would imagine that in at least some of these cases it wouldn't be the sole reason.

Peregrinus

Another relevant example is Anthony Kenny, an English Catholic priest who left the priesthood in 1963 after questioning Catholic beliefs. He now identifies as an agnostic. He married two years after leaving, but I don't think his leaving had anything to do with any relationship; rather, having left, he saw no reason not to pursue romantic relationships.

He went into academia and became, in turn, a lecturer in philosophy in Oxford; Master of Balliol College, Oxford; Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University; and President of the British Acadamy. He was knighted in 1992.

So, yes, a career after priesthood is possible!