The Problem with Atheism

Summary:

1. People identifying as "atheist" gives other people an incorrect notion about the entire enterprise of fighting irrationality and unreasonableness and puts up walls between people who would otherwise join forces, namely reasonable theists
2. Atheists seem allergic to an entire area of potential subjective wisdom discourse that just happens to have been collected under the endeavor of various religions, namely mystical, meditative and contemplative strains of various disparate traditions. As a matter of testimony there is enough existence proof that there is a there there, that one can gain these insights and benefits without accepting any of the sectarian and metaphysical claims

I think Sam should have leaned harder into this analogy: the evidence for the many varied benefits of physical exercise are well-established at this point, and yet a doctor cannot bridge the gap of discipline and force a patient to exercise in order to gain those benefits, even if it is a matter of life and death. By analogy: science is studying contemplatives and meditators and the findings are increasing every year that there is a there there. Let's just leap forward and posit that maybe this will become well-established, it doesn't matter. What matters is if/when that day came that this was scientifically proven to increase well-being, the doctor would be stuck with the same problem: he can prescribe a regime of sitting and meditating, but he can't give you a pill (short of psilocybin or LSD) to give you those benefits, each person must prioritize the exercise and discipline of his own mind, much like the body. I think that's the point Sam missed. He is trying to get people to take up the enterprise of contemplation to find out if there is a there there, but even if the scientific consensus landed on that fact, Sam would still have to go around campaigning for people to eat their spiritual vegetables, so to speak.