Louisville Process Theology Network

Emotional Factors Matter

“It often is assumed that belief in God, or lack thereof, is based upon intellectual reasoning……

Only in the past couple of years have psychological scientists turned their attention to non-intellectual factors that may influence unbelief.

For example….. two studies were conducted on relational and emotional factors that may influence those holding atheistic or agnostic views. In both studies, for instance, research participants rated, on a scale from 0 to 10, the extent to which they were influenced by

‘experiences of disappointment, anger, hurt, alienation, mistrust, or other negative feelings focused on God; seeing God as cruel, uncaring, or punishing’…….

In the first of the two studies…….54% of those who self-reported that they were atheists or agnostics indicated some relational and emotional reasons for nonbelief.

In the second study, 72%......expressed some level of atheism or agnosticism endorsed similar reasons….

This research complements decades of other research on non-intellectual factors influencing those who are religious…….

behavioral genetics research shows that approximately 50% of the individual differences among us in levels of personal religiousness

can be explained by a genetic predisposition,

perhaps rooted in underlying personality factors……..”

See https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-pursuit-peace/201603/the-new-psychology-atheism