by Currie Jean

Created on: April 24, 2008

Curiosity about religion arises from the drive to find out why other people believe what they do. Very often, the atheist wonders, "I can see what's up; I'm sure of the truth. But then, why don't other people see what I see? It doesn't make sense to call them something silly, like 'evil,' so what's actually going on?" This question is steeped in humility, as curiosity dictates an admission of not knowing something - specifically, not knowing the mind of a philosophical competitor.

To be curious about an intellectual opponent, rather than being wholly dismissive (as many religious people are towards atheists), is inherently humble, as it shows that the curious party values the thoughts and feelings of his opponent. If an atheist is curious about a theist, it often means the atheist is open to adjusting his worldview in consideration of the worldviews of others.

This doesn't in any way determine how the curious party's worldview will be affected by inquiry, however. An atheist isn't bound to adopt the religious beliefs she inquires about. Rather, most of the time, inquiring about religion helps those who disbelieve to understand the process of belief, why others value it, and how others practice it. This, in turn, will affect the way the atheist views religion.

Athiests often come to atheism because they're already naturally curious people - it isn't atheism that causes theistic curiosity, but theistic curiosity that causes atheism. Especially in the western religious traditions, questioning, skepticism, and doubt are seen as sins, or at least, problems to be eradicated by "overcoming" them, and regaining "faith."

Plunging ahead into free thinking against the rules, and thus using reason despite being told not to, has a strong chance of causing the pillars of religious belief to tumble down. This is why doubt is considered a bad thing in religious sects - it opens the door to the truth that religion is man-made and largely irreflective of reality, drastically weakening the sect's power.

Many atheists want to know what causes particular errors in judgment. Does religious thinking result from a lack of education? If not, why does it have a monumentally stronger hold on undereducated people than it has on highly educated people? In other words, why are religious devotion and educational standing inversely proportionate to one another? "Why," an atheist often wonders, "Am I so different from so many other people?" Sometimes, frustration can lead to questions like, "What

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