The Mind Virus of Religion: Why Are We Still Doing This?
If religion were simply a personal quirk—like an affinity for astrology or homeopathy—it would be one thing. But it’s not. Religion is a mind virus, an intellectual parasite that thrives on uncritical thinking and the suppression of doubt. As Richard Dawkins put it in The God Delusion, religion is
"a process of non-thinking" and "a meme that prays on the gullible and the indoctrinated.”
And indoctrination is key. Why else would an 19-year-old raised in a world of science, reason, and instant access to information suddenly decide that the unprovable metaphysics of Christianity hold "The Truth?" It’s certainly not because of some grand revelation that stands up to scrutiny. No, it’s because belief is a social contagion, passed down from peer groups, emotional experiences, and the relentless grip of religious institutions that have mastered the art of manipulating young minds.
This isn’t just an academic concern. The consequences of religious belief are real and often destructive. Christopher Hitchens, in God Is Not Great, reminded us that
"religion poisons everything."
It warps moral reasoning, demanding obedience rather than ethical reflection. It replaces curiosity with dogma. It turns perfectly intelligent people into willing participants in their own intellectual captivity.
And so, in 2025, here I am: watching a relative of mine, a freshman in community college—who could be exploring philosophy, science, and the grandeur of a universe without divine micromanagement—choose instead to subjugate his mind to a 2,000-year-old belief system based on fear, submission, and unearned certainty. Instead of seeking knowledge to ensure he is not wasting his life, he seeks my conversion. Instead of questioning the claims of Christianity, he memorizes apologetic answers. When asked why he thinks his religion is true, he responds he feels it is true in his heart, and that's confirmation enough.
What can be done to fight back against this lunacy? Teach? Challenge? Push for rigorous education in critical thinking and the scientific method.? Remind people—especially the young—that believing something doesn't make it true? That feelings are not facts? That an ancient book is not an authority on reality?
Carl Sagan once warned in his book, The Demon-Haunted World,
"Avoidable human misery is more often caused not so much by stupidity as by ignorance, particularly our ignorance about ourselves.”
If religion is allowed to continue its viral spread unchallenged, are we surrendering to ignorance, choosing fables over facts, and resigning ourselves to a future where truth is optional and delusion is celebrated?
It is way past time to stop tolerating this nonsense. .