Discussion for the non religious.
 

Do you ever stop, even for a tiny second, and wonder "what if I'm wrong?".

I was born and raised Roman Catholic. Sunday School and the whole nine yards. One day, when I was about 8, I told my mother that I didn't believe in God, and that was the end of it. She never forced me to go back to Church.

Since then, I've lived some 24 more years and never really doubted. That is, I've never been able to convince myself that such a supreme being could possibly exist. My disbelief has never been limited soley to formal or strict religious practice either. I just don't buy "spirituality" as a whole.

Now, I consider myself a fairly intelligent person as well. I'd like to consider myself smarter than the average person but I try and recognize I am not all knowing. I however recognize that many people are smarter than I am, in many ways, and try to be humble about it.

Every now and then I meet somebody who in most ways seems to be a very intelligent, well learned and reasonable person but just so happens to also be a devout follower of one religion or another. Sometimes this makes me take pause, even for a moment, and wonder if perhaps they see something I'm missing? I quickly brush passed it and dismiss the notion that I'm missing something as folly and continue on with my sten disbelief.

So fellow non believers, what do you think about some very intelligent people that also happen to be religious? Presidents (not so much the current one), Doctors, Professors etc? How does that happen? Is there any chance that we're wrong? Nah, can't be. Right?

I think upbringing has a lot to do with it. You don't see a lot of especially intelligtent people converting during their adulthood... The christian doctors, lawyers, professors, and whatnot are the ones who've been going to church all their lives... A lot of them probably went to christian colleges too. I know a couple of my old christian friends were told that Satan plays a big part in university and judging the good from the evil in what they learned was part of Gods test for them... So they end up going through college with one eye shut.

You lost me there...

Of course not. Atheists are never wrong, and if we are, at least we won't burn in hell for it.