Posted: Jan 03, 2014 11:08 am
surreptitious57 wrote:If it were that easy then the entire planet would be atheist. As it is that figure is no more than twenty per cent. Whatever one may think of religion it is not something one leaves effortlessly. There are powerful psychological and philosophical restraints in place. You are talking about the complete abolition of a way of thinking in exchange for absolutely nothing when you go from theism to atheism. It is all very well referencing it from this side but that is not the side that those who are experiencing doubt happen to be on unfortunately. If only it was
It isn't just 'restraints' that keep people religious. There are certain common experiences for which religions often give context. Of course I don't believe these are 'supernatural', but to the individuals who experience them they are very powerful. I actually believe they are natural, in that they are part of human experience—and for all I know, other animals have them as well. A person can choose to just dismiss them or they can focus on them, that's an individual's choice.
I do agree with you, surrep, that it isn't just a question of seeing the error in one's thinking. No amount of logic is going to trump something that makes you feel good, that makes you feel connected to the cosmos and to other people. And of course atheists can experience those feelings, I'm just saying that a lot of religious people experience them in the context of their religion. As long as someone isn't demanding that all of life and human experience must be understood in terms of their world view, why should we demand the same?