I always say god is to religious people what the square root of minus one is to mathematicians.
A concept that is impossible in reality, yet is useful in visualising real problems.

Yep I reckon you summed it all up quite nicely.

I agree with the "Religion is more attractive" - absolutely - and so much easier to get along in todays society if you are a believer.

Science and Logic made religion impossible for me to believe.
I've never been a good one to drop the "Just because god says" answer on.

I think you did great.

Welcome back!

That is a good answer. I am also one who got my first college degree from a xian, Lutheran, college. I also took 5 of the religion classes while there. Those things are what also started my becoming a nonbeliever.

Good answer!

In western societies such as the USA and Europe we demand a greater level of proof in a daily lives for everything except immigration levels, as this filters into our collective psyche religions keep failing to provide proof.
Then as we begin to know more about the world, we start to find out that there are many alleged one true gods - about 42 at the moment!
So how can religion stand up to scrutiny, well it doesn't.

Firstly look at the course texts she has been using and make sure that responses, even if they are arguing for or against, are used in context with these sources. This shows she has done her reading.

The question is looking for a specific response by commencing with Why. Therefore the assignment should discuss an agreement and disagreement with the premise laid out in the question and a response to both positions. Depending on the number of words that would be contained in three paragraphs of around 300 words each.

Make sure that references are taken from the course texts and also texts from outside of the course work to support the arguments.

For a conclusion don’t add new content, just use it as a condensed form of what has already been discussed and concluded.

Introduction (tell what she is going to say) and conclusion each 10% of the word allowance.

It is most important for the content to refer to course reading and then use her own ideas and external research to agree or refute.

Give your friend credit. Answering your challenges will strengthen her faith. Most religions discourage critical thought or variations of belief. If she has asked these questions to herself she may be prepared. This may be a homework assignment preparing her for evangelizing.

Requiring your believe be grounded in evidence instead of faith brings you to more truths. Having more truths gives you more informed decisions for your life. The better your decisions are the less mistakes you make. Question everything and follow the evidence instead of blind faith. That is Atheism to me.

Depending in the friend I could have answered in that way or in the more hitchens way, it's a moronic dark age belief structure designed to oppress woman and scare people into submission into a man's mans world

Huh. Yeah, I think your answers were on the right track. I find your friend's initial presumption that atheism is somehow attractive to be odd, I have never heard that before - it's almost as if she is asserting that there is some hip counter-culture attraction to it. For me personally? there could be a hint of truth to that, I have always been rebellious, I have always raised a middle finger to the status quo, and often push people out of their mental comfort zone - but to say that becoming an atheist for the sole purpose of being an antagonist is incorrect, IMO. For those of us that come from religious families, we risk alienation, if not being rejected outright.

Being publicly atheist can jeopardize job security, or other discriminations in the communities we live in. Some of you may be familiar with the case of Coach Joe Kennedy that was rejected by the Supreme Court earlier this year... One of the members of our local atheist group played a role in raising the issue to get Kennedy fired (he wasn't actually fired, Bremerton School District simply didn't renew his contract) - anywhoo - I have read letters that she has received from xtian Coach Joe supporters - and they are ugly! threats of violence, rape, and death (ya know, because they are god fearing folk)...

The moral to this story is that there is nothing glorious or enticing about being atheist for the sake of being atheist; for many of us, it is a long and painful process - and many of us risk losing a lot, simply for observing truth and evidence.

“Against the Gods” is a book detailing how we lost the need for supernatural explanations as time progressed and our knowledge, specifically in statistics, increased. As for how “attractive” atheism is, I like the House quote “I find it more comforting to believe that this isn’t merely a test” echoing the idea that life is precious because it is finite. Not the outlook I personally take, but more or less agree with the sentiment.
Many of the youth often have moral objections to the church such as transgressions against LGBTQ+ groups and misogynistic views of gender roles. Many also see the fact that there are many claims of religion that are not only unsubstantiated, but provably false.

You have given a very good answer. Just as religionists progressed the study of the bible, we must progress the study of science in our own lives. Not in a laboratory but in ways that can affect everyone personally. Just to ask for evidence is a good start. Please see my science teacher group on this site . You do not have to be a teacher only interested in science education. Amongst other things we start at a very basic level i.e. What IS science? Lots of people have misconceptions.

I think you did a great job of explaining it. There is a second use of religion and that is controlling a large group of people, mostly through fear (eternity in hell, etc). Today people are educated and lost their superstitious fears.

Religion is easier