To focus on the moral aspects of Atheism would do more for your argument that disproving God in a debate. Have you read Susan Jacoby’s book about Freethinkers? I highly recommend it…also some of Frances de Waal’s work in primate studies like my favorite: Our Inner Ape.

The question remains: How can a supernatural being be disproved using rational methods like debate and civilized discussion anyway?? Like your article above makes perfectly clear:
1) We need evidence…can’t debate without evidence.

2)Humans tend to be religious creatures. And emotionally vested.

3)God is a theory;belief system is both social and psychological.

4)Dieties are outside reality, experience, and the Universe as we know it. Science has no need to study gods…they are human contructs. We can study the chemicals in our brains that get activated by religious experience, I suppose…euphoria.

When in comes to your book, I think it may be interesting for you to “fill the gaps of knowledge” with secular explanations. I was also thinking that the introduction of “Jesus” into the conversation brings in how a symbolic human face and heart were central …once a figure like Jesus (and his Mother Mary) was introduced as human rather than supernatural..and experiencing human suffering…that was a huge value to early Christianity as a new religion recruiting new members.

It continues to promote the powerful message in America today with fundamentalist Christians and the Evangelicals out there in political arenas..active involvement matters…no more hiding in meekness or turning the other cheek!

Christianity has tried to remain “culturally relevant”…it needs new members and children are under the control of their parents’ viewpoints and educational guidance. What better way to market Evangelical Christianity than a dinosaur exhibit with “hands on” gadgets and “life-like” robots. This is pure spectacle and entertainment. I would not call it education of course…because education does not need “frills and thrills” to take root in the mind of a child.

But this is why a museum that promotes Creationism and Intelligent Design will be popular among segments of American society…it supports fundamentalist beliefs rather than challenging them. It markets the message in pseudo-science and sparkly technology and is “family friendly” entertainment in a “scary world”. Because they market fear and self-loathing.