I believe your description of faith as an virus is correct, however I think it would be helpful to remind struggling theists and semi-agnostics that the "virus" of faith finds its host in the same manner that certain bacteria can attack a vulnerable appendix in the digestive tract. It is not their fault and that the disorientation of not having the distortion of delusion overshadowing nearly every thought. However,..like in the movie the Matrix,..seeing it like it is can also be tough,..but at least it is living in reality.

Our ancient primate ancestors obviously were served by an appendix that was once very important to our digestion of uncooked food perhaps. In the same way I would like hear you lecture far more on why the human brain became so susceptible to faith as an integral part of anthropology. I believe that due to the fact that our more recent ancestors from the time our primate ancestors wondered about tomorrow, thunder and dealt with such tremendous fear faith in "gods" were a mental tool that was absolutely indispensable,.for courage, to fight, to die, to cross seas,.to pass on just before death their genetic heritage and keep their gene pool diverse. however this finding the alpha members (gods) representative tribal & personal survival function has now become an extraordinary destructive appendage as useful as wisdom teeth and an appendix. greek styled items to wear of the prom

Finally, after much struggling and devolving into agnostic despair and collapsing into the atheist I am now, I was just about to quit my membership in very conservative Christian church, however, upon discovering you Dr. Boghossian I have decided to change my mind on doing this,..I will take up your way of dialectics and let them excommunicate with me if it comes to it.

I believe we are quickly nearing Sir Arthur Charles Clarke's "Childhood's End" and we have very little time left to cross this bridge before the bridge disappears and the bridge will not hold the extra weight of our collective evolutionary remnant of "faith". Be it the individual or an advancing evolving society,..it is hard,..so hard to grow up and put away our blankets of security that once helped but now only hamper. I became an atheist at 59,...last year,..that was tough, but also so rewarding to take the distorting delusional glasses off and to take the "red pill"!