[ConstantineX]

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I could never be in a longterm relationship with any girl who believes in this god nonsense.

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I'm an atheist, and I think fellow atheists are too quick to point out of the obvious, IMO costs of religion and never talk about the practical (NOT philosophical) benefits of religion.

Religion can't be a giant negative to the entire human race. There's has to be some advantage there if it's so persistent. It definitely helps you control and discipline your kids better, and I don't think its impractical to see that if you give them a "God" framework and transfer that framework to you as a head of the family it can make discipline alot easier.

I think one of the largest benefits of religion that people don't acknowledge is that it's an extrinsic motivator that really compels people when their motivation fails. I knew a couple of really indoctrinated kids in my high school who viewed success as expected by God, and it shocked and conditioned them through tough times. It's kind of that idea of the Protestant work ethic.

I'm not religious now, but I did go to church quite often when I was kid, and I think I would probably be a more successful person if some fear of God tempered me sometimes - it stops you from obvious self-destructive behavior. Also remember that some of our biggest failures come from putting too much pressure or expecting too much of ourselves, and the idea of a God can be a useful crutch in really tough times, i.e. "God help me pass this class, achieve this goal". Implicitly you're letting God shoulder some of your burden, and if you fail it's not due to your faults, but rather a part of his misty plan. All of these things psychologically are more useful than you admit to yourselves - there is a certain arrogance amongst the new atheists. Remember, the truth rarely feels good, often hurts, and never free - its only natural that we would evolve a cultural defense against it.