What are some good checkmate arguments against religion?

[Confused Ape]

Francis Collins' embrace of faith seems entirely emotional.

But he still needed reassurance that it was okay for an educated person to be a Christian and this is where C.S. Lewis comes in. There was more to Lewis than just being a scholar.

C.S. Lewis - Conversion To Christianity

Lewis was raised in a church-going family in the Church of Ireland. He became an atheist at 15, though he later described his young self as being paradoxically "very angry with God for not existing".[27]

His early separation from Christianity began when he started to view his religion as a chore and as a duty; around this time, he also gained an interest in the occult, as his studies expanded to include such topics.[28] Lewis quoted Lucretius (De rerum natura, 5.198–9) as having one of the strongest arguments for atheism:[29]

He slowly re-embraced Christianity, influenced by arguments with his Oxford colleague and friend J. R. R. Tolkien, whom he seems to have met for the first time on 11 May 1926, and by the book The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton. He fought greatly up to the moment of his conversion, noting that he was brought into Christianity like a prodigal, "kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape."[31]

After his conversion to theism in 1929, Lewis converted to Christianity in 1931, following a long discussion and late-night walk with his close friends Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. He records making a specific commitment to Christian belief while on his way to the zoo with his brother. He became a member of the Church of England – somewhat to the disappointment of Tolkien, who had hoped that he would join the Catholic Church.[33][page needed]

This suggests that Lewis was persuaded back to Christianity by 'intellectual arguments' rather than emotion apart from going through a phase where he was angry with God for not existing.

Some Christians, however, say that they can feel God's presence and that God speaks to them. This doesn't automatically mean that they hear voices, though. When I switch over to what I call New Age Perception I sometimes get thoughts which seem to come from elsewhere. I know it's my own unconscious mind doing it but some people with my sort of brain might interpret the 'other thoughts' as coming from God or a spirit guide.

This is why I think that there aren't any good checkmate arguments which will work in all situations.