Had an idea when younger that Communist countries have higher suicide rates because they are often avowedly atheist, and some people need God, or at least the idea of God, to really feel forgiven for what they have done. I have heard interpersonal forgiveness for heinous crimes is impossible. So something else is needed.
Had this idea while reading another Charles Krauthammer essay dealing with church and state, where he says the problem with the French Revolution was that it had “excessive rationalism” and “its twin, hatred of religion.” I have said before I am not devoutly religious, but I agree with Krauthammer that atheists are pursuing “a religion of pure reason to overthrow Christianity.” I have very personal experience with atheists trying to reform or clarify religious institutions and tragically failing. Sometimes, a gradualist approach to reform is better.
You can see for yourself on Wikipedia which are the top ten or so countries for suicide. Russia is right up there. I’m not sure what my point is, but atheists like Christopher Hitchens are correct that religious institutions can do damage. Renouncing religion entirely isn’t the solution, IMO. It was the idea of my namesake Edmund Campion that the English would have been better reforming religion from within than starting a new one.