A Challenge To All Religious Believers. Can You Defend Your Religion?

I'm excited to be here. I intend to use my time here to raise controversial points and hopefully spark off some spirited discussions.

I wish to use the Steemit platform to start discussions on religion and atheism. I was raised as a Christian and attended a Church of England school and believed in the Christian God for most of my childhood. I am now - and have been for thirty years or so - an atheist.

I have an interest in religions of all kinds (although I mostly dwell on Christianity as that is my background) and I'm keen to discuss all aspects of religion with fellow atheists, agnostics but especially believers.

My position as an atheist is simply this - I do not believe in any god or gods. Period. Now, if someone can provide proof that a god exists then I will change my position but I have yet to see anything that remotely shakes my atheism.

I also believe that people can derive benefits from belonging to a religion as part of being in the 'in-group' but I also think that the negatives of religion (of any denomination) for society far outweigh any advantages.

I will be doing posts on many aspects of atheism and I challenge all of you who hold a religion to respond to my posts and defend what you believe.

I hope that those who are already atheists will weigh in with their comments and those who may be doubting their religion's dogma will find the courage to engage in the discussions.

If I offend anyone then sorry, but religion has been given special privileges for far too long and it is now time for it to face the challenge of those of us who do not believe.