Many of us wonder whether we should believe in an omnipotent and benevolent (or at least benign) God that wants us to treat each other well and the fundamental goodness of humanity. I argue a modern variant of Pascal's wager. Even if it's not true, the benefits of believing outweigh the drawbacks - as long as we avoid the evils of exclusion, persecution, and science denial associated with the power structures around most modern religions.
It's hard to believe given the scientific facts of our world and the evil humanity carries out daily. The existence of God does not fit into our model of a rational universe.
- Happier individuals - value relationships, justice, and equity alongside wealth, respect, etc
- Better society - greed is good leads to social decay
- Better environment - same as above