Opinions on my drive to be an atheist

[Tonus]

It's sad that people fear accountability to an imaginary tyrant more than they do a self-conscience informed by well-reasoned principles and basic human decency.

I think it's because of how our brains work.  We're wired to want to know.  Those early humans (or pre-humans, if you will) who made sure of their circumstances and surroundings were more likely to survive than the ones who "didn't think it was important" to find out what made that nearby sound.

Combine that with indoctrination that encompasses more than just a single religion or religious group: a JW may be a minority of sorts in his community based on his particular subset of beliefs, but he is (at least in the USA) in the clear majority in believing that there is a god, and that it happens to be Yahweh.  There may be differences of opinion in regards to the details, but there's no question about the existence of Yahweh.  Even before you add the threat of ostracism (not just from your fellow church members, but your community) that's a pretty big hurdle to overcome.  The threat of ostracism (or, in some of the more fanatical regions, direct action including violence) makes it so that even those who break free from the belief system are likely to pretend to fit in just to avoid persecution.

I believe that we absorb cues, both subtle and overt, from our surroundings constantly, and that these help shape our worldview.  A community and society that continues to push for belief in god will influence us continually to either believe in it, or to accept that it's for the better for that belief to exist or flourish.  It's how bad ideas can nonetheless persist in the face of new knowledge and better understanding.  Religion is just one of the ways we see that effect; racism and sexism are, IMO, also affected by this 'cultural subliminal messaging.'