The Atheist Religion

There is no belief like no belief

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the one issue of true religion. Not to nourish it but to try to overcome it is the way to reach the attainable measure of peace of mind.” -Albert Einstein

What we look for in religion is certainty in a world of uncertainty. We turn to religious belief when everything seems to be falling apart. We hope that faith will lift us out of misery. We want the suffering to end, somehow. Unlike almost every other religion, Buddhism doesn’t require a belief in anything supernatural. There is no requirement to believe in a deity. It is a great fit for an atheist.

Some sects of Buddhism have supernatural elements, such as physical rebirth and immortal beings. Others don’t, such as Zen and Secular Buddhism. All the supernatural elements of…