The article examines Ross Douthat's book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, through the lens of a self-identified nonbeliever. Despite Douthat's articulate arguments advocating for the rational foundations of religion, the author remains unmoved, reflecting on personal experiences that led to a staunch atheism. The piece highlights Douthat's intellectual journey, rooted in a New England Protestant background and evolving into conservative Catholicism. Ultimately, the author appreciates Douthat's insights but affirms their own belief in a random, indifferent universe devoid of divine meaning.
Douthat's argument in Believe suffers from the limitations of his brilliance, leaving me, a lifelong nonbeliever, unmoved by his rational appeal to religion.
Despite attempts to embrace faith throughout my life, I have found no evidence of divinity, leading me to accept a universe that feels random and cold.
Douthat came to know religion through New England Protestantism, ultimately evolving into a conservative Catholicism influenced by his systematic thinking for worldly power.
While Douthat's intellectual curiosity makes his perspective compelling, my own commitment to atheism remains strong, having experienced significant engagement with various religious texts and practices.
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