Either the soul survives death or it does not, and there is no scientific evidence that it does.
A Hubble Space Telescope photograph of the universe evokes far more awe for creation than light streaming through a stained glass window in a cathedral.
Being a skeptic just means being rational and empirical: thinking and seeing before believing.
Being deeply knowledgeable on one subject narrows one's focus and increases confidence, but it also blurs dissenting views until they are no longer visible, thereby transforming data collection into bias confirmation and morphing self-deception into self-assurance.
When alien abductees recount to me their stories, I do not deny that they had a real experience.
Religious faith depends on a host of social, psychological and emotional factors that have little or nothing to do with probabilities, evidence and logic.
