What I wrote at the WSJ on 6//17/2016 at http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-swimming-pool-in-the-icu-1466117000

Mr. Kozberg, I betting we agree about virtually everything except the existence of a magic god fairy. My point is you have my respect.

You said you are a chaplain which means you are part of the religion industry. This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes (collecting famous quotes is one of my hobbies).

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” -- Upton Sinclair

I noticed you also like quotes for example “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible.” ― Stuart Chase

This thing "no proof is necessary" is the problem. When scientists have an idea that has zero evidence and no evidence is found, that idea gets thrown out.

I have a lot of time on my hands since I retired so I would like to explain why I don't buy the god stuff. Please see my next comment.

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I was a brainwashed Catholic. However I was perhaps the only student in a class (where an ugly nun spent an hour telling us children why we were all going to hell) who thought the nun was insane. I had to tell a friend of mine who was worried about it - the nun was full of it.

But still I bought the other Catholic stuff. What changed my mind was when our pastor, two Sundays in a row, spent the entire sermon explaining why we had to donate more of our hard earned money to the wealthy Vatican. I always looked forward to the sermons but this changed everything. I realized religion is a business and the customers are suckers.

Because the brainwashing was extremely intense it took me a few years to be 100% certain the god fairy is not real. Now I get it. God is just another word for magic. Magic is not real therefore magical beings are impossible.

That's how simple it is. It's not necessary to a write a book about it for the same reason it's not necessary to write a book about why the Easter Bunny is not real.

Beside the obvious fact that magic is not real, there is the science. Scientists have repeatedly chased the god of the gaps out of its hiding places. It's obvious this will never end. While there will always be gaps in human knowledge, it's ridiculous to pretend anything was a magical event.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-swimming-pool-in-the-icu-1466117000