Reddit mentions of Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

Good way to put it. Dan Dennett says a lot about this in Breaking the spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon.

If you're really interested in this topic, I highly recommend Dan Denntt's Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon...a whole book on why humans are predisposed to be religious (spoiler...it had evolutionary advantages)

Former pastor Mike Aus has said it was this book that did it for him.

Nah, that's what discussion is for. I'm reading Dennett's Breaking the Spell right now, and Sagan's been at the front of my mind for a month or so from watching The Sagan Series. Makes me really want to take some time to finally watch Cosmos (which I still haven't seen, much to my shame)

By the way, if you haven't read it, I really can't recommend Dennett's book enough. It's an excellent lesson in how to discuss religion civilly, while also making a number of very good points. It'll change how you discuss religion.

Daniel Dennett - Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

As an anthropologist, you really, really need to read this:

http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Spell-Religion-Natural-Phenomenon/dp/067003472X

It's a human-centered explanation of where religion come from in our culture, and why some religions persist while others disappear. The author is a philosopher by trade, but this is very much an anthropological theory book. Please find yourself a copy.

Your fears are understandable. This will help you get over them.

Breaking the Spell by Daniel C Dennett
http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Spell-Religion-Natural-Phenomenon/dp/067003472X

Virgin the Untouched History by Hanne Blank
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FVirgin-Untouched-History-Hanne-Blank%2Fdp%2F1596910100&ei=hL7hTNnhIYyt8AbBtKmnCg&usg=AFQjCNFxU8ojOepu5Eeg4sKI6kduF5fLZQ

I highly recommend Breaking the Spell - Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Dan Dennet. He discusses this question in great detail. Of course, being a philosopher he defines the question more so than deciding on an exact answer... :-)

The straw man fallacy is where you set up a premise that is easy to defeat and then say therefore this other thing that may or may not be related is also false. The false choice (false dichotomy really, my bad) fallacy is where you present a set of outcomes as an either or choice. In this case the OP presents wear a seatbelt == stay on earth and not wear a seatbelt == go to heaven. That leaves out the very real and common 'option' of no seatbelt == horrible handicap.
My source for fallacy info:
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/resources/logicalfallacies.aspx


Your second question is the best one though so I want to address that too. Yes. Many christians (even pastors and priests) who say publicly that they are saved are not sure. Some are even closet atheists. As reference I recommend Daniel Dennett's Breaking the Spell. It's quite good and addresses this very well.

Why I Am Not a Christian - Bertrand Russell

Breaking The Spell - Daniel Dennett

All In The Mind: A farewell To God - Ludovic Kennedy