Differ though we might with Christianity's view of what precisely our souls need, it is hard to discredit the provocative underlying thesis, which seems no less relevant in the secular realm than in the religious one-that we have within us a precious, childlike, vulnerable core which we should nourish and nurture on its turbulent journey through life.

Religion for Atheists: A Non-believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion (ed. Vintage, 2012) - ISBN: 9780307907103