The Distance Between What People Believe and What They Actually Believe

The doctrines of modern religions are no more tenable than those cast upon the scrap heap of mythology millennia ago. According to Gallup, 35% of Americans believe that the Bible is the literal and inherent word of the creator of the universe. A survey of Hindus, Muslims, and Jews around the world reveals that we as a species have grown almost perfectly intoxicated by our myths. How is it that in this one area of our lives we have convinced ourselves that our beliefs about the world can float entirely free of reason and evidence?