There is a bit from Howard Zinn that impressed me greatly... wait, Sean Gonsalves writes it up here:
<http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0522-01.htm>
That human beings have a collective history that includes a great (and increasing, if not monotonically) deal of fruitful co-existence is a fact that should stare any empirical thinker in the face on a constant basis. If such a thinker were to embark on a deductive project from first principles he bears a burden of proof rather than a position of privilege. If he wishes to offer an alternative to religion the confrontation is not so much on the grounds of "truth" (which is the way it is being played by the atheist left/liberals) but on the grounds of working reality: how do we incorporate and enable those human activities and arrangements that have and continue to be productive?
...............
Hmmm.
Very interesting. That clears up the "deductive exercise" line nicely.
I'd like to pursue this element of your reasoning further. Perhaps we could shorten the statement: to move beyond the religious impulse (or, at least, create thriving alternatives) we must know ourselves better.
.d.