Why Religious People Can't Convert Atheists

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K0NkZEOatM&ab_channel=ColdReason

This video explores the reasons why it can be difficult for religious individuals to convert atheists or non-believers. It highlights the fundamental differences in how each group understands belief, evidence, and the need for religion in their lives.

Here's a summary of the key points:

Different Frameworks: Religious individuals often operate under the assumption that everyone has a "god-shaped hole" and that belief is a natural state, while non-believers may not feel this need at all. This leads to a communication breakdown.
Faith vs. Evidence: Faith is based on trust in narratives and authority, whereas non-believers often prioritize logic and empirical evidence.
Challenging Common Religious Arguments:
Fear of Death/Need for Purpose: These aren't universal feelings, and some find comfort in a finite life.
Morality: Secular societies often demonstrate high levels of morality, suggesting it stems from empathy and social contracts, not just divine rules.
Personal Experiences: Emotional religious experiences are subjective and may not resonate with others. Neuroscience even offers alternative explanations for some spiritual feelings.
Sacred Texts: Quoting texts is circular reasoning for those who don't already accept their authority.
Personal Relationship with God: This concept doesn't connect with those who haven't experienced a deity's presence.
Knowledge of Non-believers: Atheists often have a strong understanding of religious texts, leading to their informed rejection.
Universalizing Human Experiences: Religion often tries to claim common emotions as evidence of the divine, but these feelings can arise from non-supernatural sources.
Historical Influence vs. Truth: While religion has been influential, this doesn't equate to its truth.
Fear and Pity are Ineffective: Threats of punishment don't work on non-believers, and pity reveals a misunderstanding of their values.
Belief is Not a Choice: People can't simply will themselves to believe something they find unconvincing.
More Questions Than Answers: Some argue that religion raises more questions than it answers, especially regarding evidence and contradictions.
Different Definitions of Truth and Evidence: Religious and non-religious individuals often have fundamentally different understandings of these concepts.
Deconversion: Many non-believers have actively moved away from religion after trying to believe and finding it unconvincing.
Finding Meaning Outside Religion: Non-believers often find meaning in human connection, nature, and other non-religious aspects of life.