The "Little People Argument"

[Tobin S.]

11. Religion does comfort people.

I don't think saying that is condescension. It's just an acknowledgement of the way they really feel. It's actually probably what is at the root of all religious belief. Everyone's greatest fear is death. Religion is the promise that life will continue...forever in most religions. People choose to believe that because it is comforting. It's definitely a lot more pleasant than what is the likely reality.

So you can tell people what is really going to happen, but they can't accept that reality. That is what is at the root of all the bickering in the religion group. You can really reduce it all to that. All of the contortions in logic and arguing can be traced to, "I don't want the end to be the end." That frightens people to the point that it actually seems logical to believe in an afterlife.

There's not much I can do about that.