Atheism is a lack of desire to believe in God or any divine spiritual power. It’s a popular worldview that enjoyed a comeback in the last few decades. Famous public personalities are now supporting this narrative. Authors Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have publicly challenged the world’s major religions in their works.
7 Famous Christians Who Became Atheists
Many Christian celebrities have announced themselves as atheists. They either believe God doesn’t exist or ask for reliable evidence to prove His existence. People who convert to atheism only believe in things supported by substantial evidence. Continue reading to find out who made the list of well-known celebrity atheists of Hollywood. You’ll be surprised by how many musicians, actors, and reality stars have said their goodbyes to Church.
1. George Clooney
“I don’t believe in Heaven and Hell. I don’t know if I believe in God. All I know is that as an individual, I won’t allow this life — the only thing I know to exist — to be wasted.”
George Clooney was raised in Kentucky and is a proud liberal. Throughout his long and storied career, he’s used his star power to serve humanity and has spoken out against environmental issues, poverty, wars, and more. Clooney outgrew his religion and has no problem telling the world he’s an atheist. Even though he doesn’t believe in the existence of God, he has no problem with people who do.
“Whatever anybody believes as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else, it’s fair enough, and works, and I think, is real, and matters. I don’t happen to have those beliefs, as much, you know, I don’t believe in those things.”
2. Brad Pitt
“I grew up very religious, but I don’t have a great relationship with religion. I oscillate between agnosticism and atheism.”
Clooney’s close friend, Brad Pitt, shares similar views on faith and God. Pitt rejected his southern Baptist upbringing and turned to atheism.
“I’d go to Christian revivals and be moved by the Holy Spirit, and I’d go to rock concerts and feel the same fervor,” he said. “Then I’d be told, ‘That’s the Devil’s music! Don’t partake in that!’ I wanted to experience things religion said not to experience.”
Despite converting to atheism, the renowned Hollywood actor soon found his way back to God in 2019. He confessed he was no longer an atheist and that it was only a youthful rebellion he’d experienced.
3. Angelina Jolie
“There doesn’t need to be a God for me. There’s something in people that’s spiritual, that’s godlike.”
Angelina Jolie discussed her religious beliefs after directing the film “Unbroken.” The movie was about a former POW who journeyed through his trauma to find God and redeem his faith. Jolie’s credibility to direct a film about faith and God was questioned after her statement on religion in 2000 when she had no specific religious beliefs and disliked authority-based religions.
4. Johnny Depp
“There are all kinds of angles. Is there a God? I don’t know. Have you seen him? I haven’t seen him.”
The famous Pirates of the Caribbean actor, Johnny Depp, clarified that he didn’t believe in life after death. When it came to believing in things we couldn’t see, Depp wasn’t convinced. He said he didn’t think less of people who believed in one God, but he can’t just rely on one particular thing for a lifetime. Johnny Depp called himself a pedestrian but was scheduled to speak at The Reason Rally, a significant event held for atheists and nonreligious people in the US.
5. Danielle Radcliff
“I am agnostic leaning toward atheism. I don’t expect there to be a God and an afterlife — I would be pleasantly surprised if there was.”
Although Danielle Radcliffe played the role of an angel in his movie Miracle Wonders, he doesn’t believe in God in real life. He further added,
“There was a time when I was in my teens when I was kind of irritatingly belligerent about atheism. And I’m just not anymore. I’ve had too many friends for whom faith has helped at hard times in their life. I’m fully aware that religion is a huge part of many people’s lives. Everyone can believe whatever they want, as long as it’s not hurting anyone and as long as you don’t think that gives you the right to tell someone else how they can live their life.”
6. Julianne Moore
“I learned when my mother died five years ago that there is no ‘there’ there. Structure, it’s all imposed. We impose order and narrative on everything to understand it. Otherwise, there’s nothing but chaos.”
Golden Globe-winning actress, Julianne Moore, stated that she became an atheist after her mother’s death. Moore’s mother, Anne Smith, died at 68 in 2009. Since then, Moore lost all faith in God and the afterlife and believes everyone creates their narrative, instead of God.
7. Morgan Freeman
“I’ve always wondered about the existence of God. My grandmother was a stout religious person. My mother followed preachers around in the South, so I got to go to a lot of churches and see people who had all kinds of interactions with religion,” Freeman told a Hollywood Reporter. “It’s just been like a fester in me.”
« Famous People Who are Christians
What is a Born Again Christian? »
Despite playing the role of God in a movie, the Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, made his views clear to the public when he said that man was the one who created God. From Christianity to atheism, the actor shared his story of the Story of God with The Hollywood Reporter.
Our Final Thoughts
The list of Christians who became Atheists goes on, but that doesn’t threaten Christianity or any other religion. Several atheists have converted to Christianity over the years. In the end, it all depends on every individual’s perspective of life, death, and faith!
