by Kiall Rowberry

Created on: June 27, 2008

Atheists are often more curious about religion for one major reason we have no faith in any one particular religion. Faith is what draws a person into a religion, and is what keeps them in regular attendance at their local church, mosque, synagogue, temple etc.

Faith cannot be argued with or against, and I often wonder why people try. For faith in itself is not based on particular facts or evidence, it is merely the result of a person believing 100 per cent in its dogma. Any evidence' against it is quickly dismissed as a test' or the work of the Devil', whilst any evidence' for it is embraced as proof that their path is indeed righteous.

It is faith that makes a person see a stain on the footpath shaped as a dog say "that looks like a dog" and then see a similar stain in the image of Christ they proclaim "there is Christ, it is a miracle!" There is no logic in this, but there doesn't need to be if you have faith you will always believe.

Total belief also closes the door on the need to examine the teachings of other religions. Why bother, they are wrong and those followers are destined for a massive fall once they reach the afterlife.

This brings me to the mind of the Atheist. Without a total commitment to a particular religion, an Atheist is free to examine the various belief systems that exist across the world in a way that a student may read a variety of history books. Religious text makes for a fascinating insight into the human psyche.

I myself have studied numerous religions in some detail, from the Australian Aboriginals belief of the dreaming', a parallel universe where all the values and laws, and indeed the universe itself, were created. To Buddhism, which is less of a religion' and more of a moral lifestyle choice', where followers believe that all suffering in life stems from man's desires. A Buddhist attempts to remove suffering from their lives by depriving themselves of material pleasures.

There are many more from every corner of the globe and from all the different periods of human existence. Many have vanished over the course of time and others have changed through numerous re-writings and translations. But all of them have devout followers that are convinced that their path is the true and correct one.

What I have concluded from my studies, and I stress that this is merely my take on things, and is hardly a statement of pure fact, is this:

It has always been a trait of man kind that we must have an answer to everything. We have always been frightened

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