The rise of deism and atheism in Turkey

[Copernicus]

See The young Turks rejecting Islam

A couple of years ago, my wife and I went out to dinner with a friend in Istanbul. She did not know that we were atheists, and we thought she was a believer. Then the conversation turned to terrorism, and she began saying very harsh things about religious fanaticism and Islam. She volunteered that she was an atheist without any prompting. According to the story, most Turks who reject religion become deists, although our friend declared herself an atheist. Like so many people who lose their belief in the Abrahamic versions of God, deism is a more appealing way to transition away from traditional religion. However, I suspect that there is more than a little political influence on this process. Historically, Kemal Atatürk created a secular state, and it is his secular state that is under attack by the current autocratic ruler Erdogan. There are still pictures of Atatürk everywhere in Istanbul, and kemalism is strong there. Most kemalist are believers, of course, but it is reasonable to suppose that this movement away from Islam is largely confined to large cities.

 

[Shake]

It seems a logical step to me anyways, going to deism first. I've heard of others having similar experiences, though some do go straight from belief to full non-belief. My own journey started with merely a rejection of organized religion. I realized the corruption inherent in many religious organizations and further felt that a relationship with a god was something highly personal, so how could anyone else tell me how or what to believe? But of course there's still a god, right? I asked myself. The further I went examining things after that, the less convinced I became. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming years.

 

[steve_bank]

Atatürk's goal in ending the Caliphate was a modern secular state.

Looked like it may havr worked for a while. From the reports the religious conservatives have a lot of power, and the legislature has handed over almost total power to the president in the name o crisis f security.