re: #643 Obdicut

I don’t think atheism can be evangelized. I’ve never met a single atheist who became an atheist because they read an argument or something by another atheist.

Most people who wind up rejecting the doctrine of their religions, who wind up believing it’s a myth, don’t become atheists. It’s easy to figure out that the specific stuff in a religion— like, the belief in miracles— is just myths about magic. But human beings are biologically wired to have pattern-recognition in their brain that, combined with emotions like hope ‘n’ all, create a feeling of connectedness to a larger consciousness. People want there to be someone listening, and they look at the world and see patterns of design and fate and the rest where there are none.

So most people who figure out their religion is a myth doesn’t become atheists, they just become ‘spiritual’ or whatever. And that’s fine. The problems with religion come from those people who think they know that god wants everyone to act a certain way, not from the people who just feel that connection.

I think you are right. The feeling of belonging to something greater than one’s self seems to be necessary for total health.