I had a conversation with my one truly religious Aunt a few months back as we went for a walk in the East-end of Toronto for a mid-morning coffee. In our caffeine fueled ramblings I was trying to persuade her that humans love religion for its ability to provide certainty.
A man (a notable atheist I believe) once said something along the lines of, "religions will continue to exist so long as man is afraid of death". I believe the uncertainty of what comes after death is what makes a promise of an after-life so alluring to so many people, and has allowed religions to flourish for thousands of years. The comfort that... (read 1006 more words →)