I can talk about gods, or even about a particular God - the God of the Roman Catholic Church, for example - without having to accept them as anything other than fictional. Declaring Harry Potter to be a coward might well be controversial; but it's not an admission of his real existence as a non-fictional entity.
Yes, and it is also valuable. I am an atheist. But I think religions are valuable. They have figured out that humans aren't rational beings. If you want to change people you can't just tell them the truth and assume everything will be accepted and be fine. If you want to connect with people in a meaningful way you've got to wrap it up in stories that move us emotionally. I'm saying stories. Not lies. Just like any fiction stories are vehicles of communicating a much deeper truth.
I've spent the last ten years studying religions and religious texts in depth. Especially pagan religion. I find it striking how much wisdom there is in there. In most religions the gods have complex personalities and traits. If you want to do something specific the gods can give tried and tested modes of doing it.
Examples. The Norse god Víðarr is the god of revenge and silence. The lesson is simple. If you plan to take revenge, keep your trap shut about it. Don't advertise it. Just do it. Completely applicable to today's society. Buddhist gods are similar. Sariputta is the god of caring and humility. Ie, when you care about someone in pain, don't assume you know what they're going through and that you know what they need. Just pay attention and be humble. Great advice. Buddhist gods also never "existed" in a way that is meaningful in the atheist/theist dichotomy. They are all aspects of ourselves. We all have these gods. Whether or not that implies anything supernatural is never mentioned.
What annoys me about contemporary major religions that we deal with in the west, ie Abrahamic religions, is that they're so incredibly shallow and childish. It's the dumbest theology for any religion in the history of humanity. The best metaphor is that it's a penis in the sky. The Christian God is nothing but the perfect father. Someone who we can trust to fix everything for us, as long as we just stay loyal. If we go to the traditional theistic route, what qualities does that invoke in us? Passivity, submissiveness, incredulity and intellectual rot. It's a truly worthless kind of religion.
Here's a popular Christian quote "God helps those who help themselves". Do you think it comes from Christianity? Of course not. It's a pagan saying.
I'm not saying there's only bad things in Christianity. But I am saying that every other religion does the same things better. The only thing Christianity does better is that it's a simpler kind of faith. Any moron can get it. Which undoubtedly explains it's success. Which brings me back to my first point. Religion is about engaging our emotions. Which Christianity does excellently. But Christianity only does that. It has no content. It's 100% packaging. It just strokes our ego and tells us everything will be fine. And most importantly, we don't have to do anything. Who wouldn't like to hear that?
