Common ground

It is interesting that both non-believers and believers (regardless of god) have access to the same evidence but come to different conclusions. This evidence is not in dispute. For example, we all know that:

1. Humans invent gods. Over the course of our history humans have invented and worshiped maybe 10,000 or so different gods. Humans are recidivist, serial god inventors—we don't seem to be able to help ourselves. 

2. These invented gods satisfy real human needs. That is why they survive. It is not unusual for invented gods to remain in favour for a few thousand years or so before being replaced by new gods.

3. Our generosity towards these gods shows how strongly we need them. People may sacrifice a significant proportion of their wealth to their gods or their finest animals or even their children in some cases. 

4. Deeply moving, even life-changing, religious experiences are commonly reported by believers. Since not all gods can be real, we all know that the human brain must be capable of creating religious experiences when triggered by the thought of a god. No gods are required for this to happen. 

5. Excluding religious experience, there is no evidence for the existence of any gods. Religious experience cannot be used as evidence because we cannot distinguish between experiences conferred by a god and experiences manufactured by our brains. 

6. All arguments for the existence of gods are fallacious. I know of 36 arguments for the existence of gods and I can show you how each one is invalid. Try me, if you doubt me but I think you know it. Have any atheists been converted to belief in God by the ontological argument? I don’t think so. 

7. Many gods are thought to answer prayers but we know prayer does not work on any scale. If prayer worked we should expect those people being helped by gods to have advantages over those who are not helped. What we actually see is that people who pray the most have the worst outcomes, shorter lives, more sickness, more infant mortality, even more crime and more road traffic deaths than those who do not pray. 

8. Believers are certain their own god is real but equally certain their neighbour’s gods are invented. Yet we all have the same evidence.

How can we all have this same evidence yet arrive at such different conclusions?

Many of us have a strong need to believe in god(s). We believe in the god(s) we were told are real as children. We disbelieve in gods we were told are not real. By the age when reason kicks in we have already established emotional bonds to our family god(s). We are chained to them by love, fear and guilt and we need the security they promise, so reason has to fight an uphill battle to dislodge them.

We also know that our need for the protection of god(s) diminishes as our security increases. If the state pays for your healthcare and looks after you when you are old, sick or unemployed we no longer need imaginary friends. That is why religious belief in countries with good social welfare programmes like Japan, Scandinavian countries and much of Western Europe has plummeted in the past 50 years.

So gods and religions are part of our culture but cultures change.

Eventually, belief in Yahweh, Jesus,  Allah and Brahma will be something people read in history books—just as we read today of Greek gods.