12 "You said atheism isn't anti-religious. But is it perhaps a backlash against one's upbringing, a way of rebelling?"
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This article is from the Atheism FAQ, by mathew meta@pobox.com with numerous contributions by others.
12 "You said atheism isn't anti-religious. But is it perhaps a backlash against one's upbringing, a way of rebelling?"
Perhaps it is, for some. But many people have parents who do not
attempt to force any religious (or atheist) ideas upon them, and many
of those people choose to call themselves atheists.
It's also doubtless the case that some religious people chose religion
as a backlash against an atheist upbringing, as a way of being
different. On the other hand, many people choose religion as a way of
conforming to the expectations of others.
On the whole, we can't conclude much about whether atheism or religion
are backlash or conformism; although in general, people have a
tendency to go along with a group rather than act or think
independently.
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