Belief in God is natural, argues Justin Barrett in Born Believers. His is not a theological or philosophical argument about natural knowledge, but a conclusion from interviews, surveys, and other psycho-sociological evidence.
Which makes atheism rather an anomaly, Barrett things, and a comparatively rare one. After surveying the factors that, statistically speaking, correlate with atheism, he offers seven steps toward confident atheism (219-20):
First, “Have less-than-average fluency in reasoning about minds or a tendency to not use psychological or social reasoning.”
Second, “Do not have children,” since fewer dependents makes unbelief easier to sustain.
Third, “stay safe,” since people often irrationally turn to religion when faced with danger.
Fourth, credit or blame humans for whatever you can, since they are the only intentional agents in the environment.
Fifth, get acquainted with “pseudoagents” like fate, chance, justice, government, natural selection. You’ll need them.
Sixth, reflect. You can only resist the naturalness of religious thought by reminding yourself of the reasons for not believing.
Seven, indoctrinate the young, so that unbelief will have a future.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
