What are “the most important questions humans face”

I think so. Surely kids taught to believe are not intellectually dishonest, and if they mature in a closed religious society the view that there is not God may seem so ridiculous that it doesn't deserve a second thought. I don't see how they could be dishonest about it if they don't even consider the question. Wasn't this the norm in the Middle Ages?

Atheism refers only to the belief in a deity. They do not believe that there is a god. After this there is nothing proscribed as to what to believe or not to believe.
One may say that they do not know something is true or that they do not believe that something is true. Only behaving as if there is not a god would be the only requirement of demonstrating one was an atheist. There is no purity test. One may entertain whatever claptrap one may excuse.

Athiesm closes nothing off. It is the starting point for the discussion of beliefs. If someone makes a claim, you do not automatically assume it to be true. They must have evidence for that claim. If they cannot produce evidence then why should you believe what they are saying is true?

OK, you have a god. What is it for and what does it do? Oh, it protects you and also will save you. What does it protect you from? Your enemies you say. Yes, and it also might save you from your enemies. IC. Does it ever tell you to not piss so many people off?

i think so. one of my philosophy professors was religious and taught philosophy and religious philosophy studies, i took his classes and he was my academic advisor. he was one of the first people i met where i felt like even though he wasn't agnostic he had a very open minded view of the world and religion. I guess the best way i could put it is, it felt like he was agnostic in the sense that he believed there was a god but at the same time he didnt deny the idea that he could be wrong, just like how many people don't believe in a god but also don't outright say that we know there is no god.

Ancients gave all credit for whatever they didn't understand to "god" or "gods". The "God of the gaps" is a term I've heard from somewhere. Soon as science provides a logical answer to one of gods mysteries the mystery is solved and no god is needed to satisfy ones longing for an answer. As we continue through science to discover answer to our compelling questions we need less and less "gods" to blame things on.or praise them for.........Praise is really what the gods like from us. Dissension in the ranks brings out the worst in them all.......Haven't had a locust plague hit my town for a while now......Praise Gauwad!

The scientific method is the only proven method for validating hypotheses and producing function theories on which we base our technology, medicine, and industry.

Any claim made WITHOUT refutable evidence is merely a claim and nothing more as any Court in a Western Country will tell you.
Christianity, for example, has been repeating the same claim continuously for nigh on 2,000 years and has NEVER produced/brought forward even 1 iota of refutable evidence in favor of the claim.
The Sciences,on the other hand, research, try, test, examine the results, then try and test all over again BEFORE they make a claim PLUS have more than substantial evidences to support the claim.
That is basic difference between Sciences and Religions.
In the last 200+ years Sciences have revealed a great deal and with evidence to back the evidence up that a " Higher Reality/Higher Supreme Deity/God or whatever you wish to call it" has an estimate possibility of 0.00000000000001% of ever having existed except in the fevered, frightened minds of men who were somewhat quite 'primitive' compared to humans today.

A higher reality? Does not conform to the scientific method of corroboration? The only basis for knowledge? WTF are you talking about? Where the fuck did you get these illogical and ridiculous ideas that you espouse as if they were true?

Your first error: using the word religion to stereotype and categorize things you think are, as most people do, pertaining to this word "religion ".

I no longer consider myself Christian, however since leaving christianity I have come to a lot better understanding of biblical text and still have a lot of appreciation for it.

I often think it would be nice to be able to explain, as in writing a book or making something like some discovery channel videos, about biblical text in the way that I have come to better understand it since leaving christianity.

A large difference is the fact of translated differences between languages.

I will give a couple of examples: ruach in biblical text means force, often expressed like the kinetic energy of breath, wind or a storm. Forces are study by physics and chemistry. Ruach gets translated into English as spirit and sometimes ghost.

There are things that I have experienced about "ruach" that has given me a better understanding but it is almost like trying to explain some supernatural. However, it is also like trying to explain physics to a kindergartener.

Here also is as video I like a lot. At least 97% of it. If you are famuliar with most modern, Christian churchy stories then you would understand the difference between English chruchy stories and this video explination of original language.

There is other things I discuss in my comments and other post that I explain that if Christians or everyone realized biblical text and original Jewish traditional teachings It points to Jesus being Angelic lord of host Lucifer the devil.

This knowledge, if people would understand, could end christianity and Masonic lodge secret religion racist devil worship most commonly known as United States of America.