It's all in your head...

... And that's okay.

I've been passively trying to articulate the points made in this article for a while. They take a decidedly scientific approach (well, it is New Scientist), which is great on many levels, but I think at its core the points the author makes can be intuited as well. And when you're dealing with something as intangible as religion and spiritual belief, going with your gut seems pretty appropriate. Anyway, I've never been big on atheism or even agnosticism since it just seems like that's just another form of cultish belief, and for me it's more of a none issue. I don't understand religion, belief in a higher power, etc, but I've never really cared terribly much if other people do. It's when they start to push those beliefs on other people, and society at large, that I get a bit steamed. All of this is to say, I don't really care what you believe, nor am I really out there to try to disprove the existence of a higher power, but I do often think about what drives people to believe in these things. I mean, immaculate conception? An elephant headed man with 4 arms? Aliens in volcanoes??
At any rate, here's a pretty key point I've often argued without any scientific knowledge to back it up (but it felt right, and like I said, it's religion, so how're you going to argue with me?):
"The mind has another essential attribute: an overdeveloped sense of cause and effect which primes us to see purpose and design everywhere, even where there is none."