I am an atheist and an agnostic (anyone else?)I ask 3 questions:1) Why do people form religious beliefs?2) Why do people establish organized religions?3) Why do organized religions persist?I offer 3 answers:1) People form religious beliefs to avoid thinking about their own mortality.2) People form organized religions to standardize their individual religious beliefs.3) Organized religions persist mainly through the socialization of younger generations.I start from the premise that there is no evidence to support religious beliefs (in other words I approach these questions from a psychological and sociological point of view)The title means that religion (i.e. all religious belief) is "convenient" since it makes life easier to live, and a "lie" since it is unsupported by evidenceThese are my own thoughts in my own words.Feel free to agree or disagree, this is a thought experiment, I offer no evidence that my answers are correct (though I do think such evidence can be provided).Songs:1. Craig Armstrong - Escape2. Lord of the Rings - Requiem For A DreamTranscript:Why do humans believe in gods, souls, and an afterlife?There is no evidence for the existence of gods, souls, or an afterlife.Why then do humans form such beliefs.The answer lies in human psychology:Most animals have evolved an innate fear of death that helps individuals survive.But humans have a greater capacity for self-awareness than other animals.Humans understand that they will inevitably die from old age.But the idea of non-existence after death is difficult for humans to accept.The thought of non-existence after death produces a deep sadness that only humans feel.The desire to overcome this sadness leads to the formation of religious beliefs.Most humans cannot accept their own mortality, instead they develop a convenient lie:They tell themselves that death will not be the end of their life.They construct a belief in an afterlife or reincarnation.They tell themselves that they have a soul to carry their consciousness into a new life.They develop a belief in gods to control this cycle of life and afterlife, birth and rebirth.It is a convenient lie to avoid the obvious and depressing truth.Religion is a belief in immortality that allows humans to cope with the knowledge that they will die.That is why humans believe in gods, souls, and an afterlife.But why then do organized religions exist?Individuals can avoid the depression of their mortality by lying to themselves.Why do humans collectively establish belief systems and religious organizations?Again, the answer lies in human psychology:A belief held by only one individual does not give that individual much reassurance.But if that belief is held by others then the individual's confidence in it's validity grows.The more people who share an individual's delusion, the more that individual can accept it.Humans thus share their beliefs and establish rituals, doctrines, and organizations together.They collectively standardize their individual beliefs to make those beliefs more believable.Humanity has produced a wide variety of organized religions over the course of its history.And all of these religions share in common the idea that human life continues after death.It is the reason all religions exist, to satisfy the human desire for immortality.Finally, why do organized religions persist?There are many good explanations for this:Organized religion can enhance group survival by increasing social solidarity and stability.And religious leaders can use governments to force people into joining their religion.But most importantly, people impart their own religious beliefs on their children.Children born into religious families are taught that gods, souls, and an afterlife are real.Children conform out of blind acceptance, familial obligation, social pressure, or coercion.Or they embrace it since the obvious truth of their mortality is too depressing to accept.Generations pass, but religions persist through the socialization of new generations.Not all people embrace this convenient lie, however.There are some who reject unfounded beliefs in gods, souls, and an afterlife.They are able to accept the depressing yet obvious truth of their future non-existence.We are known as...ATHEISTS

Video providers : , and this video is stored with all copyright by