This is so interesting. Even as hard as I find it to be a non-believer in today's society, I can't even begin to fathom the troubles one must have gone through in the past. Religion was so integral to one's everyday life back then, and every decision seemed to be based on the favor or disfavor of some higher being. I can only assume there would have been many more difficulties considering the lack of technological advances and scientific evidence to disprove some of their beliefs. Heck, it's hard even in present day society to get people to truly think critically about their faith and the world around them despite all of our current knowledge.

No matter how much evidence we gather, or how many religious ideas we debunk and disprove, there will always be people there to plug their ears and close their eyes to these truths. It matters not what science uncovers, for they are still afraid of that which helped form their beliefs in the first place: the unknown. We need to feel safe and reassured in this world, whether it be from the confirmation of facts and coming to terms with the unknown in a peaceful way, or the reassurance of a higher power giving us warm fluffy invisible hugs from space telling us we can live forever in their magic kingdoms filled with rainbows and sparkles. (But only if you follow every single inane rule somebody way back when wrote down for reasons unbeknownst to us)

Whoa, didn't mean to get so snarky at the end there. But I have certainly have had my share of folks telling me to go to hell because I choose to think critically about our universe instead of believing fairy tales.

As for what the future holds? Well if the present is any indication, only more skepticism. There will always be religion. There will always be people arguing about it. But I truly think that we will one day reach a point where there will be more nonbelievers than believers. It can be the only logical outcome of a society that is constantly advancing and finding reasons behind this madness we call life.