why religious ideas were widely accepted and disseminated once they got started. It has even been argued that religion was the key to civilisation because it was the social glue that held large groups of strangers together as societies expanded. No doubt it still has much of its original appeal. But these days, religion’s downsides are more apparent. Conflict, misogyny, prejudice and terrorism all happen in the name of religion. However, as the rise of atheism attests, it is possible to override our deep-seated religious tendencies with rational deliberation – it just takes some mental effort.

why religious ideas were widely accepted and disseminated once they got started. It has even been argued that religion was the key to civilisation because it was the social glue that held large groups of strangers together as societies expanded. No doubt it still has much of its original appeal. But these days, religion’s downsides are more apparent. Conflict, misogyny, prejudice and terrorism all happen in the name of religion. However, as the rise of atheism attests, it is possible to override our deep-seated religious tendencies with rational deliberation – it just takes some mental effort.