Ad Infinitum

As I have been relatively busy so far after moving into college, I haven't had time to update my blog. My psych teacher recently asked us an online question about belief and religion, and I thought it interesting enough to post on here. Included are my answers.

What role in the life of the individual is played by a belief in God?
Being an Atheist, I can safely assume that I am in no way objective in my beliefs, but I will try to be as much so as is possible. Being an Atheist also means that I made a concerted effort believing in some kind of deity, but I eventually rationalized to myself that there was, in fact (at least to me), no existence of any tenable God of any kind. The concept of any god, in its origins, serves as an explanation for the natural world around us-i.e., the seasons change because Demeter only sees her daughter Persephone for 1/3 of the year (Greek mythology). In modernity, a belief in God is typically accompanied with a belief in some kind of afterlife and the perpetuation of life after death. It is a very comforting thought to believe that a deceased relative is continually living in a "better place" rather than simply dying.

In trying to understand someone, how much importance should we give to studying that person's attitude toward and faith (or lack thereof) in a god?
When attempting to understand someone, we must not only gauge their belief in a god, but the belief in the mythology surrounding the god. For example, the "great flood" as described in the bible would have been scientifically impossible on Earth because of the massive amount of heat that would have been released after the enormous rainfall, not to mention the gathering of two animals of every species from around the planet crossing great distances and oceans to simply reach one boat. It is not impossible, but certainly extremely implausible.
To be concise about my point, one has to be religious within reason. One simply should not dismiss what others would consider scientific fact simply because it contrasts with one's religious beliefs (Galileo and the church).

If we think of the idea of God as referring to any principle or power, however defined, in which one believes absolutely and with certainty, is there anyone who does not believe in a god?
If it is defined as such, then seemingly everyone believes in some sort of God. If that is the case, the Tea Party can be considered a "God" (though I shudder at the thought), Rutgers can be a "God", and greed can be a "God." There is a difference, however, between absolute belief in something and actual worshipping.

Do all people have such a faith somehow expressed, somehow anchoring their existences? Or is human life possible in the actual absence of such absolute commitments? If our task is to understand a person, can we do so without including a central consideration of what that person's areas of faith and certainty are?
All people have faith in something- I for one have faith in the Mets, though they continually let me down every single year. I do not, however, anchor myself into their every undulating phase. I do feel a bit depressed with each loss (though I've gotten used to it), but it is not enough to drive me to the edge of insanity (though they have tried). I should hope that most people do not entrust their lives into a concept without actually considering themselves before said concept. To be clearer, I hope that no one so inextricably links their lives into some religious meaning so deeply that they end up not being able to reason without relating to their deity.
Understanding a person without knowing their preferences in faith and religiosity is like eating in Tillet Dining Hall- you see that it's food (or used to be), but you're just not sure what it is. There is a certain "level", if you will, of people that is beyond faith and is simply the person's own beliefs, but it takes extraordinary circumstances to reach that level.

There's my opinion, though I personally already disagree with myself.

That's all for now,
Das Flüg