Has there ever been a religion that was rigorously materialist in its metaphysics? Probably. But none come to mind.

Children are not metaphysical materialists. It is not of our nature to limit our beliefs to that which can be seen, tasted, touched or measured. The mind of a child easily accepts magical thinking of all sorts. (Early religious education tends to exploit this to maximum advantage). But most children at some point begin to doubt their naïve beliefs.

Most people retain some version of immature belief throughout adulthood. Some–certainly a small percentage–subject their beliefs to rigorous scrutiny and yet emerge with beliefs intact and even stronger. Another small group goes through the same process and its members reject their childhood superstitions and become non-believers. The majority, however, retains a childish form of unexamined belief that can be the foundation of intense religious devotion on one extreme or a vanishing support for an endless variety of ill-informed superstition on the other. Members of the latter group may believe in ghosts, angels, demons, the Law of Return, positive thinking, karma, charms, vibrations–the list goes on ad nauseum.

Few truly make an effort to reject all superstitious beliefs. The few who do often are so dismayed and disgusted by the rest of their species that they become arrogant and hostile to all forms of belief. Atheist apologists cannot help but feel superior. They are like people in a dark room that have opened their eyes but are crushed by the crowd around them that is blind. The blind don’t know they’re blind. They feel their way through the room touching each other and leaning on each other for support. The man who sees does not want to be touched; he wants only to have some space that gives him room to see more. What really vexes the man with sight is the realization that the crowd is penned in together on a vast ocean liner and the pilot of the boat is blind too!

So we are sympathetic to our atheist apologists. Few understand the burning frustration of their situation.

The atheists are right about the evidence. Therefore we begin this project as metaphysical materialists.