I'm an atheist born into a heavily religious family. I've seen both sides. I've seen people that took inspiration from the book to become better people, giving their time and money to help those in need. But I've also seen people use it as a weapon against gay people or others that don't share those beliefs.

I've come to learn that it's not the religion that's the problem, it's the people. Hateful people use religion as an excuse to fuel their hatred. People that are genuinely kind use it as the inspiration for helping others.

At the end of the day, if people want to buy into these beliefs because it helps them sleep at night, so be it. For some, it helps cope with the thought of mortality and what happens after death. Going to some better place or being reincarnated into another life is very comforting for a lot of people and I wouldn't dream of taking that away from them.

For me, I'm fine with not being able to answer what happens next. If anything does happen. But most people are unable to cope with the idea that this might be it, our one and only shot and there is no new life or eternal kingdom after they pass. I think they should be allowed to take comfort in whatever they believe, as long as they don't abuse it to infringe on the rights of others.