Well, not according to the author of the post, and we know how concerned he is with truth, so this must be correct? “That leaves us with atheism, which provides us with not the smallest scrap of a foundation on which to build any claims about the purpose of life, or what is a good or bad.” [0]

This is confusingly supported by a quote from C.S. Lewis making the point that it’s better to believe in something that “feels important”, whether or not it’s true.

[0] https://lukeplant.me.uk/blog/posts/what-if-none-of-it-is-tru...

Also, some people have 'religious experiences' that set their minds on certain paths. Whatever the underlying neuroscience is, it results in qualia that is hard to ignore.

I'm a 2nd generation atheist who suffers from depression. Years ago I read evidence that religious practices could alleviate it. I was kind of desperate so decided to brainwash myself into becoming a believer for about a half of a year. Overall, it was pretty effective. I had to eventually disengage because of the cognitive dissonance, but the positive effects have lingered.

Most atheists and agnostics struggle greatly to replace the meaning and moral guidance provided by religion.

First and foremost the community aspect. There are countless benefits to being part of an active faith community that atheists have had a very hard time replicating.