Why do many people follow traditional religions? Why do traditional religions exist in the first place?

       Belief in the supernatural originally arose from man’s failure to understand all of the workings of the world around him. Man is curious by nature, and is unsatisfied when unable to figure out how something works. Early attribution of unknown processes to various supernatural “spirits” were passed down from parent to child, and changed through the generations into religions with definite beliefs. Both the spirit-based religions and more traditional religions served to eliminate man’s discomfort with not knowing why things happen as they do, and not knowing how to control everything. As scientific understanding challenged religious beliefs, religious authorities resisted as long as they could, until the mountain of evidence was so overwhelming that they had no choice but to alter their doctrines. Religious authorities once considered the concept of a round earth or the earth revolving around the sun to be heresy, yet with spacecraft we can now view the roundness of the earth and watch the earth as it revolves around the sun. But with each additional scientific insight, religion continues to fight against progress. Many still believe in the biblical story of creation, a story that was crafted long before people had discovered that the earth was round. They will steadfastly defend it, and make up supposed evidence for it, even when faced with the enormous skeleton of a dinosaur.

       Why do people adhere so strictly to such absurd teachings? There are several reasons. The first and foremost is that they believe what they were taught by their parents. From a young and impressionable age, many children are taught the fables of god, biblical creation, Adam and Eve, a flood that covered the earth killing most people, and various supernatural miracles along the way. If such beliefs are not dispelled by their parents, but instead reinforced, many of these children will mature into adults who are absolutely convinced of the inerrancy of their teachings, regardless of the evidence in front of their eyes. Especially as children, we are built to absorb and accept knowledge. We are built to accept that certain actions are dangerous, due to our parents’ warnings, before actually experiencing the consequences. We accept words and speech patterns and games and songs from our parents without argument. It is crucial for children to accept such information without question, for their safety and their development as people. So it should be no wonder that they will also accept myths without question if presented to them by their parents.

       Another reason that people continue to believe in traditional religions is that it provides them comfort. It is comforting to think there is some grand plan for our existence, that there is some fascinating place we go to after we die, that our loved ones who have died aren’t merely dead bodies but have gone on to someplace where they are loved. If everything worked according to some god’s plan, we would be free of the burning desire to explore, to find out why the world is as it is, for it is merely god’s work. We would not have to challenge our station in life and seek better things for ourselves and our children, as our reward awaits us in some perfect afterlife. If bad things happen, our suffering is mitigated by the fact that “god works in mysterious ways.” This coping mechanism was very important in the past when death before old age was much more common. Such beliefs are comforting, especially in times of suffering, but that does not make them true.

       Finally, there is a genetic component to our so-called spirituality. As societies evolved and became more and more important in the lives of people, various religions came to dominate in different societies. Those who followed the dominant religion were better-received in society, and thus were more marriageable and had an evolutionary advantage. Those who saw religion as a sham were outcast, and less likely to procreate. As this cycle continued, people who had feelings of spirituality and were thus more religious gained a genetic foothold in our population. Those with genetic traits for less spirituality did not always die out as outcasts or heretics, as they were sometimes more driven to solve problems—instead of blindly accepting previous teachings—and thus better themselves, improving their chance of passing on their genes. But with continued intermarriage, it is likely that we all now carry the genes that give us a sense of spirituality in one degree or another. Too much and you’re obsessed with religion (possibly hurting reproduction), too little and you’re somewhat more likely to be outcast (again possibly hurting reproduction).

       Carrying the genetic preferences for spirituality and constantly sensing or feeling that the supernatural is around you does not prevent you from recognizing the world as it truly is, without any supernatural forces. You simply must recognize that such feelings are the product of your genetic makeup. Just as optical illusions take advantage of the makeup of our eyes and our brains to present something that isn’t really true, so do religious beliefs. You may use that religiosity, that spirituality within you to experience wonder at the awesomeness of nature, or at the complexity of the universe. But attempts to experience the supernatural must be recognized as mere fancy.

       Can a person be a member of a traditional religion and yet be an Atheist? Certainly. Membership in a traditional religion often is much more than merely swearing a faith in a supposed god. Although some houses of religion pressure members for unwavering faith, often churches and temples are places of community, where like-minded families congregate to network with other families, celebrate holidays, contribute to charity, and deal with life events such as birth, marriage, or death. However, all of these do try to indoctrinate children into the tenets of their religion, so the Atheist who chooses this route must be careful to monitor their child’s education and understanding of the world carefully, in order to dispel the myths of traditional religion.

       How should an Atheist deal with religious people in everyday society? We have learned in the Book of Morality that the morality of a god is a false morality, based upon threats and rewards. True morality is always based upon sympathy. But many members of traditional religions claim that there is no morality without a god. Theists may feel threatened by Atheists, assuming we are inherently immoral and evil. With such prejudices in our society, each Atheist should consider carefully to whom they discuss their Atheism. However, we should also remember that a lot of good things can come from organized religions, including a sense of community and giving to charitable causes. While we should be wary of the reactions of theists to Atheism, we should also be aware of our own reactions to the religious. We may have judgements about the religion itself, but casting that light on each follower is prejudicial and unfair.

       How should one deal with family members or friends who are deeply religious? You must choose whether or not to discuss your Atheism with them, as they may feel the need to try to “convert” you, or failing that, exclude you from their lives. (The attempt at conversion is, given their false belief in the supernatural, actually a well-intentioned “moral” action, since they are trying to prevent you from suffering.) However, most of the religious are comfortable with those who are less religious, so professed Agnosticism, saying that you don’t know, may be an acceptable compromise in cases with extreme family members. This is a bit of a mistruth, but not all mistruths are immoral. We all tell “white lies,” harmless falsehoods that smooth over our interaction with one another. The morality of a lie will rest with the person telling the falsehood, and the expected result. Are others hurt by it, or helped? Truth is usually the best option, but not always. If the truth would cause undue pain to a family member without any gain to the relationship, for example with a much-older relative who you seldom see, it may not be appropriate to do so.

       How should one deal with the religiousness of other people’s children? The raising of a child in a set of beliefs is the responsibility and the right of the parents. Interfering in that choice is not the right of a government, or of another person. Would you be pleased if a person tried to convert your child to a traditional religion? If another person’s child –especially a young child—asks you about your belief in a god, referring them to their parents is probably best.

       How should we teach our children about Atheism? Much as we dispel beliefs in fairies, monsters, magic, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, we should also dispel any myths of angels, demons, gods, heaven and hell. Most children will be able to understand these concepts, and discern between what is real and what is imaginary, around the age of reason (often quoted as age 7), or maybe a few years earlier. But especially for Atheists living in strongly religious communities, we must be careful to tell younger children that beliefs are a personal matter, one to be discussed in the home and not on the playground. Atheism can be a difficult subject for those indoctrinated in religion, and discussion between children about the nature of god may be seen as an attack on a parents’ right to raise their child as they see fit. It may also, as innocent as Atheism is, lead to ostracism for your child. So again, we must carefully teach our children about when we should and should not have such discussions.

       Older children such as teenagers should be told to deal with the beliefs of others as they deem appropriate, but be sure to warn them of the possible consequences, especially if you live in a strongly theistic area. For teenagers, the acceptance by their peers is often the most important force in their lives, more important than the teachings of their parents. If appropriate, Atheism should be kept within the family, and not discussed outside, depending on the character of your community. Discrimination against Atheists is still a very strong force in parts of the world.

       But the most important concept to remember when dealing with those who follow traditional religions is respect. You don’t have to respect the belief, but you should respect the individual. Different circumstances (such as indoctrination at a young age) may lead a person to unshakeable beliefs in the supernatural. Such a belief does not make that person any less moral, or any less a human being. We should judge their morality and humanity on their actions. If they seek out our guidance about the nature of the world, we may offer it, and if they engage us in debate about religion or science or origins, we may discuss it. We can even, if desired, publicly proclaim our Atheism and debate those who question it. But we should not force the truth on the unwilling or hate those who can’t accept it.