The Psychology of Atheism

"Someone once said that if you sat a million monkeys at a million typewriters for a million years, one of them would eventually type out all of Hamlet by chance. But when we find the text of Hamlet, we don't wonder whether it came from chance and monkeys. Why then does the atheist use that incredibly improbable explanation for the universe? Clearly, because it is his only chance of remaining an atheist. At this point we need a psychological explanation of the atheist rather than a logical explanation of the universe."
--Peter Kreeft

Actually, the odds of finding any planet in the universe that could support advanced life is a lot bleaker than a million monkeys typing Hamlet. The Anthropic Principle (held by theists and many atheists alike) says that the universe seems specifically designed to accommodate advanced life. A compiled list of 322 design characteristics of the universe reveals "less than 1 chance in 10²⁸²(million trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion) exists that even one life-support body would occur anywhere in the universe without invoking divine miracles".

So back to "At this point we need a psychological explanation of the atheist rather than a logical explanation of the universe." I always thought that was funny, if not a little sad in its truth. But then I actually found a university lecture on exactly that topic!

"The Psychology of Atheism" by Paul Vitz at the University of Florida

Intriguingly (ironically?), he bases his case on Freud. Have a listen!

Banana Peels: Sinister Slipsters or Misunderstood Myth?

If you take your standard Websters dictionary and look up "The thing that is most likely to make someone slip and fall if they step on it", you will find a picture of a--you guessed it--a banana peel. But honestly, in the history of mankind, has anyone ever slipped and fallen because they stepped on a banana peel?