(May 14, 2015 at 4:18 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: Yes, atheism has some psychological benefits that often go unrecognized. The newly converted atheist usually feels relief from the burden of unnecessary guilt. They also usually experience the exhilaration of setting their own goals and values apart from externally imposed expectations. You may continue adhering to the norms of your culture, and many do, but you really don’t have to except to the extent that you can avoid civil penalties and undesirable consequences. If you really are an atheist, you alone decide if ethics are something of value to you. Or not. Nobody can tell you you’re wrong either way.
Well then, it's a good thing that we have our innate sense of empathy, altruism, reciprocity to help us do the right thing.
It's a wonder, that without believing in a god, Bonobo chimps also exhibit empathy, kin selection, altruism, preciosity, etc.
It's almost as if these behaviors evolved, to help us survive in a deadly environment as a social species.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
