Reddit reviews The Belief Instinct: The Psychology of Souls, Destiny, and the Meaning of Life

Tillich's The Courage to Be. It won't turn them into the good evangelical you probably have in mind, but it is one of the best argued cases for faith.

William James' The Varieties of Religious Experience is also a classic for good reason. It wasn't until recently that we had fairly comprehensive answers for James, though some people still read it differently.

I've been an atheist for most of my life. Just because this is how I think doesn't mean I should expect others to adopt my thinking.

Suggested reading: http://www.amazon.com/The-Belief-Instinct-Psychology-Destiny/dp/0393341267

There are billions of religious people in the world. Do you think we are so good at teaching? I wish we were!

Good book I have recommended on this topic: http://www.amazon.com/Belief-Instinct-Psychology-Destiny-Meaning/dp/0393341267

I'm no Freud, but If you're asking for a psychological perspective, my understanding is that magical thinking (or causal illusions)--which your case exemplifies--stems from a subconscious human need for ontological order (as opposed to randomness) and expositional significance. In other words, an 'uncaring' reality of random and meaningless coincidences--where things 'just happen'-- is at once existentially unsoothing and humbling (which has evolutionary implications). Then, amplifying these congenital intuitions (which all humans have to varying degrees of salience), is your own religious conditioning. I can elaborate further but I'm tired :(. I recommend reading the book 'The Belief Instinct' by cognitive psychologist Jesse Berring, which is more or less a primer on this topic.

What does cry out mean?

>that's your opinion, maybe. I cited my statement, feel free to cite yours

https://www.amazon.com/Belief-Instinct-Psychology-Destiny-Meaning/dp/0393341267/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483989212&sr=8-1&keywords=the+belief+instinct

Chapter 1.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind_in_animals