Debates around religion used to be about whether or not God exists. Today, the conversation around religion has shifted to whether or not religion is good for you, or good for society. Some data indicates this. Let’s dig into how religion developed, why it can be good for you, and if religion is the best way to get tools for your best life.
In this video, you’ll explore whether religion is actually good for you, even from an atheist’s perspective. You’ll learn how religion evolved as a vessel for human needs, offering community, rituals, and moral education that science shows can boost your well-being. You’ll also hear why some of the emotional and social benefits people attribute to religious belief are actually the result of the tools religion provides, not the belief itself. The video dives into how secular spirituality can give you all these benefits without the harmful elements of religious dogma or supernatural claims. By the end, you’ll see how embracing secular spirituality can help you live a meaningful life while navigating existential fears.
No Nonsense Spirituality: All the Tools No Belief Required:
50 Isms (Belief Systems) That Dictate Your Reality:
Video Chapters:
00:00 Intro: Atheist View
00:18 Religious Debates
00:51 Deism vs. Theism
01:56 Personal Experience
03:44 Religion’s Shift
05:17 Social Impact
06:21 Why Religion Exists
07:21 Superstition’s Origins
09:33 Religion’s Vessel
12:10 Mormonism’s Tools
13:59 Is Religion Good?
15:01 Mental Health Benefits
17:46 Belief vs. Tools
18:42 Men & Religion
20:28 Cost of Religion
22:26 The Modern Dilemma
24:16 Secular Spirituality
26:05 Replacing Religion
30:24 Emotional Regulation
32:13 Consequences of Nihilism
#religiousdebate #atheism #nononsensespirituality
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Britt, you said something that amounted to 'the secular community does not have something that compares to the religious community'. Of course, this is literally true but, do you think that being part of a university/college community and having a good therapist comes VERY close, to replacing what religion gave most of us. The REAL problem would be that university/college and therapy is expensive and churches are FREE. Also, university/college ends and leads to work communities that are very different, not very close knit.
Like Germany, university/college should be free, like many rich countries medical therapy should be government funded; DO you think this is this the solution? I think about these issues all the time. Your work is inspiring. Just think if just half the churches in America were willing changed into satellite campuses of top universities and gave FREE education, job training, political/media literacy, and therapy — my mouth waters at the benefits. sigh
Hello Britt I saw you on Z Dog’s channel. I really enjoy your work. I believe in Christianity, I was not raised Christian though. I was raised in chaos and trauma. I think I chose to believe in Christianity because it became my anchor, and I was able to form a healthy identity. I needed an outline, a moral compass, I need some direction and something to live by and for. I am skeptical about some aspects of my religion, but I lean more non denominational at this time. I try to give myself grace when I think I’m not measuring up. I think for me, the pros outweigh the cons of believing in a religion. My brain likes a more organized structure of belief because I grew up in a lot of chaos. I did have a time period in which I started feeling more aloof, and had very black and white thinking. That caused some isolation in which I had no social life. I realized that I had to take the pedal off the accelerator of my beliefs and regroup. Now I’m more lax about it, and I am more open and receptive and respectful of others beliefs. I have some amazing girlfriends now. One of them is atheist and she’s like my bestie and we are able to work and play together and respect each others beliefs and talk openly about them. I feel better about how I treat others too. I am able to hold space for humans. That is what we all are at the end of the day. Thanks for giving people amazing tools. I do benefit from those tools in my religious environment.
Hey Britt. I’m very curious about any resources you could link to regarding your point about people are born superstitious. Peter Boghossian frequently talks about this idea referring to it as the substitution hypothesis. The idea being that belief is our default position and if you remove one another will eventually take its place. I’ve been trying to find more background on this idea and see what studies or experiments have been done. Are there any books or references you could point to pertaining to this idea?
Hey Britt. I am going nuts right trying to contain my excitement in finding your channel. This Video is amazing. It covers so much of what I've been wrestling with the last few years. I am not a professional or formally educated in this field but it is one of my passions and something I spend all my free time researching and absorbing through other Athiest and philosophy channels. It's actually more of an obsession of mine in that I've been trying to dig myself out of the void by thinking if I just keep learning and understanding as much as I can about all these related fields I might find some truth or meaning to replace what I lost after deconstructing.
I'm not sure how much you respond to or interact with subscribers yet but I can't contain my questions so here it goes – To this idea of replacing religion with something better. What are your thoughts on how that could be accomplished without a common unifying belief or moral system to anchor a community? You talked about social networking for adults and karate classes for kids but in my estimation these or just the superficial activities that a shared communial experience does around the belief system. So what I think is that the activity is just the glass and the belief is the water you pour into it. For instance what I've noticed in my past community experience as a "Catholic" is that the activities are just a focal point for parents or friend groups to gather and discuss their experiences and reactions to other groups of people with differening beliefs or morals values. Basically it's a way for people to b!+ch about other people doing stuff they dont like with other people that feel the same way. Then based on those conversations people find an equal liberium within those groups either by influencing or adjusting to counter opinions. Typically those beliefs are based on a religious or political foundation. For activies like book clubs, karate classes or other general non commital social interactions you wont find real social bonds and support systems like you alluded to in the Mormon church. How do you think "religion replacement" can structure itself without a single unifying belief system?
If my four decades of life as an autistic person have taught me anything about begin a human, I would say first, that we need health. Living with a chronic illness that was very difficult to get diagnosed and difficult to manage has taught me that without health, all the gold in the world is is mud. Second, the social struggles that arise from living with autism have instructed me that humans generally need social connection. I found that when I experienced genuine connection with other neurodivergent people, I felt much better. I have a neurotypical partner and child, but I always look forward to being in neurodivergent company where I can stop pretending to be "normal".
I can't prove this, but it seems likely to me that we neurodivergent people are more likely to regard truth-seeking as a high priority; even perhaps a perverse source of pleasure, like gazing in awe upon a beautiful rose as I grasp the stem in my hand, fully aware of the thorns piercing my skin and the blood running down my arm and dripping from my elbow. I don't know how I could ever let go.
Secular spirituality still seems highly individual though. I support the idea in general but I'm unclear on how it solves the social isolation problem in particular.
Edit: I mean for adults. A lot of this seems centered on childrearing but I'm a woman who does not want kids.
Britt, do you have any Unitarian Universalist congregations near you? I seem to recall you live in Idaho.
I dunno Britt, secularism is recent. It's creating its institutions. Many of the problems you're talking about are political, not related to beliefs, as you said yourself. I disagree with keeping colonial invader culture in America. People who lived here often had spirituality instead of religion, except for some imperial cultures. Let's learn with Abbya Yalla folks and let European/Middle Eastern garbage go. Let's live well with nature, chant, raise children in villages together, drop binary thinking and this cult of productivity and autocracy that came with the invasion. Whites who still want Christianity will be shipped back to Europe. Revolution is coming.
It's interesting that the "prophesy" in the Mormon church was that in the "last days" there would be more women than men in the church, making polygamy necessary. In reality, religion is more beneficial for men and women are more likely to leave. It's helpful to learn this as I deconstruct.
Whenever someone introduces themselves as christian or spiritual, thet immediately raises all kinds of red flags. I cannot trust someone who has believed nonsense from the time they're born, and haven't learned to take personal responsibility for their actions, because "the devil" made them do it.
Also, women who defend christianity are exactly like Uncle Tom, and all they're demonstrating is that they've never read the bible, which is a manual on mysoginy.
Can you make a video on if NDEs coincide with existing religious beliefs? This is something I’ve been wondering for a while
Some religion is good others are toxic ,some lead to peace others lead to stress and depression
Sorry but I need to correct you. If you put 100 babies in an island they may or may not create a religion.
It’s more likely that they will create a government system. Not religion or a belief in a god. As we know even today we have tribes that do not have the god concept or a religion.
So this claim that they will create religion is false.
I wonder what you all think about progressive Christianity. I mean people in those churches don't require that anybody really believe in any specific doctrines, and some congregations are really great at fellowship and charity work.
Great content .! Plenty of videos are available by scholars to show there's no hell.For death anxiety I loved The Consolations of Mortality by Andrew Stark available on kindle.On thr web "Why You Really Really Don't Want To Live Forever : Brett Gallaher Huffington Post
Closer to Truth "Is Death Final?" Julian Baggini.
Very insightful, brilliant!
21:13 women got married at 18. Are you being truthful or politically correct. What is the Morman age of consent? So, if we were to cherry pick some good things from religion, what rights would we give to young people, for example, age of consent for various things like fornicating, drinking, driving and voting. What would Joseph Smith say about this? By the way, I was born an atheist and still am. I really appreciate your videos. You are as good as Neil degrasse Tyson.
The Power of Positive Thinking is strong, think you can or not and you are probably right etc. As good for you as church maybe, I doubt it would be good for me when I am saying to myself, "Ugh, this is non sense" when listening to the preaching or testimonials of how Jesus did this healing in them etc. I still find the self delusions of religion outweighs the benefits for me. I'd feel like a shame and not feel good about me. I must be a cultural Christian, but I am on the fringe of the Big Religion and beliefs.
I want to go to your church, Britt!!!! 🙏
Love brit
Religion is not good for anything, in my opinion. It may satiate our desires for wishful thinking, and that is about it. Religion is thought stopping unless it is in a "good book" like the Bible or another person (for example, a prophet) doing our thinking for us.
Have you ever thought of talking to Jacob Hansen? Id love to hear that debate
Sometimes when the absolute best throughout all of history is in order–the best step up and low and behold—they are often WOMEN. Irony on top of irony.
You're the BEST!
Although there are some benefits of having religion even today but it's doing more harm than good. And i think that human morals and values doesn't come from outside but are already present inside all the humans.
Being a "Cultural Christian" is too dangerous, as it empowers and emboldens actual Christians to pursue their dogmas.
I'd much rather see atheists adopt "Cultural Paganism," especially the Greco-Roman flavor, since pretty much everything "good" in Christianity has its roots in the Olympian faith and Greek philosophy, and actual belief it the pagan gods has been non-existent for so long that the Truth Claims of something like Orphism aren't going to be taken seriously or accidentally enabled to influence policy.
Yes, I had the same question when realizing many stories and history of religion aren't true. Does it really matter if they're true if they inspire humans to be kind, serve others, and have optimism for an afterlife? Does the truth really matter if it provides a framework of answers that stabilize mental states and bring community together? Thoughts to ponder. Ignorance can be bliss. For many, staying in the matrix is the best way for a happy productive life.
God gave up human sacrifice! Yet for tens of thousands of years he did have children burned alive. In the ancient world on all the continents the major religions were religions of blood sacrifice. Blood sacrifice is the killing of humans and animals to feed on the life force released at death.
The Creator god is the creator of life force. This God does not have to feed on death.
Our God is not the Creator.
This logic is both obvious and irrefutable. Are we in a thrall not seeing what a child could grasp?
So, please tell me what the benefit of believing in a FAIRY TALE is?
How does society progress, and settle its divisions caused by religion?
No Religion can demonstrate its validity over any other.
They all contradict each other.
They ALL CANNOT BE CORRECT.
They ALL CAN BE WRONG.
Religion is a BAND-AID attempting to cure CANCER.
If the Human Race is to survive, it needs to face REALITY and abandon SUPERSTITION.
Humans have hidden behind Religion for TOO LONG.
Those who wield power in Religion corrupt and dominate the world.
Unelected, Untouchable clergy pull the strings of Schools and Government.
RELIGION POISONS EVERYTHING.
PS. I did see a benefit of Religion.
When someone, at last, had THE BALLS, to SLAP SEX-OFFENDER TRUMP IN THE FACE, it was a WOMAN. MAY HER GOD GO WITH HER.
I cannot trust in god, nor my fellow humans.
It only benefits the clergy , since the audience already wants to be "good people"..
When you say that data show religious people fared better than atheists during the Covid pandemic, I wonder if that is the US or includes countries such as Nordic and Scandinavian countries?
Scandinavia is part of Western Europe this Swedish guy has a channel called the Market Exit where he says imigrants hellpped the econommy. I'm half Japanese and half black. My mother is religioous she believs in the Church of the Believers. My brother is spiritual. I'm an atheist. My dad I can't say but he probbably feels god doesn't mean anything. I don't know exactly why I took up meditation again regularly but it gives me energy and physical sensitivity. I think meditation will become like hatha yoga and be separated from religion and philosophy. I still like philosophy and believe in sautrantika which says the perceptions are a representational view of reality and there are seeds of goodnessin everyone. Before meditation I was interested in science I think science cmes from awe and wonder at the universe. Even though I am blind my dog I could tell was related to me as a kid we had legs teeth feelings and so on. I used to be impressed by humans the brain and so on, now I don't know I think sometimes we should go extinct because we cause each other's suffering and are superstitious. I don't have children though so I'mm less invested in humanity. I think whatever wisdom tridition even Jesus americans want more and more and won't folklow it. I thhink Jessus himself was a complicated person he says some good things and some horrible things.
I agree with your points. But I do feel like sometimes religion as I’ve seen it often practiced by modern American evangelicals I grew up with that it can be a reason they have less communal responsibility. Examples: tribalism that causes them to insulate their “compassion” to people of their own faith while justifying their indifference and hostility to the world outside their church. I feel that there is a subtle programming with many Christians to say, well my God condemns you to hell for your choice not to serve, so why should I care about you at all? Or feeling like others burdens are a result of their lack of faith and sin. And a big one: not caring for justice and climate issues because they think a better world is coming and that God will sort it all out and therefore they don’t need to do anything to make life better in the here and now. And don’t get me started on science denialism that winds up putting themselves and everyone else at health risk. The most altruistic people I know are atheists. I think it comes from this realization that each other is truly all we have. No supernatural being is going to sort it out. No thoughts and prayers. Only your instinctive understanding that we are in this together and we either thrive or fail in this life together.
America has some forms of community building that doesn't/shouldn't care about religion or politics and that's sports. The fans of each team can be any race, color, creed, gender and for the most part celebrate and suffer as a community together. Music concerts are another way for tons of people to get together and enjoy sharing and ritual. Museums and science and education centers are also fantastic places to learn and share in groups.
Another aspect is how much of an impact if capitalism and work mentality has dominated over American culture for the last 50 years. People, commit so much of their waking moments just to earn a decent living that there is so few hours to be able to give to family. Family is the foundation and if our culture is going to survive and thrive as a non religious but spiritual community we need to radically change.
Maybe we need more time off, more festivals, more parks, more appreciation for family and community time.
Monetary gain and fears are driving this nation crazy and the capitalistic system doesn't replace religion very well either.
Being good for you does not make it true. Placebos may be good for you if you don't know what they are. Atheists are people who prefer truth, even if it is upsetting. Plenty of believers don't seem to get that.
I found this so helpful. Having only deconverted a year ago, and especially with the rise of christian nationalism, I can be pretty harsh on christianity as a whole. Its really beneficial for me to look back and see the good that it provided. Growing up pre internet in the bible belt it was the only tool available for me to try to live a moral life and I should probably be grateful for that. But, after years and years of living in that religion and trying to understand my place in it and my value as woman I can say that the harm eventually outweighed the good.
The Saviors of God, by Nikos Kazantzakis (author of Zorba the Greek; The Last Temptation of Christ).
12% of Americans don't believe in god and 14% are unsure. I'm in Australia where 21% don't believe and 21% are unsure. When I left christianity I didn't need the bible to stay moral however my husband left with me and he had trouble. He left me eventually and remarried and went back to christianity. I grew up atheist he grew up catholic. It was no lose to me to not be a christian as i had as a child dealt with death. I distinctly remember being very worried about it I think around 6yrs old maybe for a few days and then I realised, we are all still alive right now and I stopped worrying about it. My grandson went through this when he was 8yrs old, it was so painful for me to watch. He eventually realised the same thing, we are all still alive, there is nothing we can do so he accepted it. He was troubled with this for a few months and would talk about it night at bedtime. My older grandchildren never expressed this but the one that did is very compassionate and a deep thinker.
i noticed that men often believe in religion because of the benefits socially, and women are the ones that are the more magical thinkers. i came to this conclusion anecdotally for the reasons why each gender cites leaving religion. for men usually they cant get past the magical thinking and take a "logical" approach and women usually cite some kind of discrimination or trauma, same with gay people. they dont have a problem with believing in a being but the way they are treated.
however, religion also serves your basic needs on a platter; community, relationships, promoting of families and charity, how can you get a group of people to do that without a stronger force guiding them?
what you're describing with secular spiritualism, is a bit like the masortim in judaism. they keep shabbat, do purim, hanukkah, but "israeli" society itself is very secular
I think your tie in to loss of culture (for white Americans, because it was replaced by Christianity) is poignant. I live in a state where many people move, and it has been an ongoing culture shock ever since college to feel like the smart people with cultural capital are not people with my background but those with roots elsewhere. I struggled to fit in in the suburbs and now find myself not identifying as much with my own family. I have a false nostalgia for my parents' generation and experience of their peers being more like them, sharing beliefs, interests, food preferences, dialect, etc.
I dont understand how its makes any sense to be involved in the spiritual when you dont really believe in any of it. If i didn't believe in something it would feel.pretty pointless to me and would take away from the " benefits " of it it would seem. Personally im on the fence . I kinda believe in the spiritual but I am not 100 percent convinced which is why I checked out your channel. I have had many spiritual experiences which i cannot explain so im definitely not an athiest.
You’re the best!
1:10 Why does the lack of a good explanation mean that a magical one (even a deist one) will do? As I feel almost no duress, I'm good with being uncertain. I even enjoy ambiguity.
4:50 I review history and see that people have not used religion to learn and grow. I see that pretending may help the relatively helpless, the very young, those with dementia, and those with debilitating anxieties. Many others have a submissive personality and/or reject being responsible for their life decisions. These and others are susceptible to religious and other kinds of ideology (doctrines and dogmas) and so to the control of social dominators (usually men and groups of powerful men). Dugin's Russian Orthodox war on Ukrainians. The cost of religion is absurdly high. If you have not done so, please make the effort to be mindful, and to think flexibly. Nurture your curiosity so that you may learn what you need to make and revise your own meanings.
Religions are non-sequiturs. The truth with deceptions weaved into them. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I have no religions nor follow any cults or magic crafts. I simply know our Creatress who knows me and follows the golden rule. AWOMAN, Tru dat, Let it be received. ❤
Man's brain is lopsided. The right hemisphere is larger than the left hemisphere. Woman's brain is balanced equally on both sides of the hemispheres. There are many scientific proofs that reveal that women ARE superior to men in every way. I personally believe this applies to male gods and female Goddesses, also. Life /existence came from our original Creatress without a father god. Patriarchy is an inferiority complex against our true Creatress who is superior to all. AWOMAN, Tru dat, Let it be received. ❤
The irrational arguing with the printer bit was gold
Religion is an evasion of personal accountability or responsibility. It is a “get out of jail card” for oppression and wrongdoing, individually and collectively.
It denies the actual preciousness of life by positing a “soul”, which makes the finality and awfulness around the loss of life rendered, if not trivial (Gaza), then forgivable, despite the probable opinion and preference of the victim of such attitudes. Oops, I’m sorry, you’re dead. But, of course, you have a soul,…..so. The real crime is that a one-off, unrepeatable, finite life is expunged and with it, the opportunity for someone to achieve their own meaning, their own experience of life, in all it’s joy, sadness, beauty, and horror.
Religion is complex PTSD around death. Nothing more.
I’m careful how I express this in my day to day life….because people who “believe” are the most terrifyingly dangerous beings on this planet, and they are currently turning this planet into their version of Hell, all for lies.