I can't understand atheists, but I admire them for their type of faith and courage. Neitzche the famous atheist who proclaimed “God is dead” is himself long dead and now knows better. He at last realises that only man’s foolishness and pride could claim to have absolute knowledge about things that are invisible or that cannot be empirically proven. But some things can be..

Rodney Stark is one of the world’s leading authorities on the sociology of religion. This Pulitzer Prize nominee was a sociology professor at the University of Washington for many years. He spent much of his life studying religious people vs nonreligious people. After he researched thousands of people, Stark concluded that religious people: are much less likely to commit crimes at all ages; are far more likely to contribute even to secular charities, volunteer their time to socially beneficial programs, to be active in civic affairs and enjoy superior mental health – they are happier, less neurotic, and far less likely to commit suicide. They also enjoy superior physical health, having an average life expectancy of more than seven years longer than that of the irreligious; and express a higher degree of satisfaction with their marriage and are substantially less likely to abuse their spouses and children. They even perform better on standardised achievement tests and are far less likely to have dropped out of school, which is especially true for ethnic minorities; and were therefore far less subject to being on unemployment benefits or welfare.

 So parents, politicians and everyone who has breath should think about how much we are losing as a society by becoming less religious.

Not only that Dr Caroline Leaf, quotes research by Dr Gail Ironside, professor of psychology and psychiatry who found that the most significant factor in recovery for those with HIV, was their belief in a benevolent and loving God. Over a 4 year trial, those who did not believe in God lost their healing “T cells” three times faster than those who believed in God. Their viral load also increased three times faster along with higher stress levels and damaging amounts of cortisol. Her conclusion was a belief in a benevolent God, was way more protective and if you believed that Jesus loved you personally, that protection and recovery were even greater.

It turns out that when it comes to the enjoyment of life and health, you have to be quite brave to be an atheist. We were just not created to be unbelievers. That is living against the grain of life. So dear atheist, I admire your courage, but I still wouldn’t want to be you!