Take for example, someone who was not born in an atheist home, or a religious home, free from even hearing about religion and coincidentally he made up none of his own. Then when this man hit 21 years of age he was exposed to our world of countless religions. This man has no connection to any religion in particular and he is asked to pick one or none of them. He would notice that they are all mutually exclusive, that is no two religions can be right. He would also not be able to determine which had any validity. All he could do was read the old religious scriptures, which unfortunately almost every religion has. You could say that he could judge validity based on the most popular religion, however would you base it on people alive or people dead? Really the most popular religion of all time would not necessarily be around today, though the consensus today would be that it was ridiculous and unbelievable. This being the case, it is illogical to be religious. If someone who has never been exposed to religion comes in when he is 21 (so his brain has developed enough to make a conscious decision) and cannot make a rational decision which religion is right, that means there is not enough logic behind religion to make it a rational decision.
You might say, well if it is illogical then why are there so many people making this decision? My response to that is that there are a large number of causes. First, and in my opinion the most formidable, is the practice of childhood indoctrination. Children are extremely impressionable and when they are indoctrinated in religious beliefs it is nearly impossible to convince them otherwise later in life. This is one of the key agents responsible for perpetuating religious belief. Another reason is that religions are attractive. Many effectively say, if you’re on our side, you get eternal bliss but if you aren’t you get eternal torture. If nothing else this promotes choosing a religious belief over no religious belief. The fact is that religion is not perpetuated by logic, it is perpetuated by childhood indoctrination, rewards, and punishments.
atheistthink 
I think one of the answers to the question you ask is that many people are irrational when it comes to the question of belief. It is treated as sacred and immune from questioning
Childhood indoctrination. I felt that coming as soon as I started reading. I can see it, in a global sense and in my own life. But I have begun questioning my faith when my children are within a few years of been teens… if I do reject this faith, how do I handle telling them? And as a parent, how can I let go of the guilt that will come with admitting that I indoctrinated my own children? I cannot tell you how much stress and fear this concept stirs up in me.
Always a good question. The most important thing in my opinion is to always be honest with your children. Don’t pretend like Christianity is the only worldview, and make sure it’s an open environment for them to be able to make their own decisions free of guilt. The only thing you can do is try and be the best influence on your children, and admitting that you don’t know answers and are trying to figure them out is an honest effort and a good way to raise kids.
Thank you. I have been looking at the raising free-thinkers books and website. It echos those ideas.
Shakespeare put these words into Laertes mouth in Hamlet:
“This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man ”
’nuff said. Good luck.
Not that many people make a decision to become religious when they are adults, though I know a few personally. While I don’t see much reason for religion, I think it’s only fair that someone can only convert when they become adults – after all, we do set age limits on alcohol, tobacco, and having sex.
I agree, in some way it is immoral to make decisions for children because they are so impressionable.
EDIT: Not all decisions I mean, but large ones like future occupation, religious beliefs, etc.
It is not illogical to be religious! Being religious—following any one of the many hundreds of sole unique paths to God—requires illogical people. Ergo it is entirely logical.
For myself I’m signing up for Linus’s Great Pumpkin … I like pumpkin … and none of you damned atheists can tell me that pumpkins don’t exist! Even if you did I wouldn’t believe it, so there.
As for children: hah! Get’em while they’re vulnerable. (Them Jesuits had it nailed, I tells ya.)