Imagine a world without organised religion, where it doesn’t affect people’s lives, but atheism still exists. What purpose would atheism fill in this scenario?
Not something that I suggested.
You claimed that merely knowing that goblins are a concept would alter your perception of reality. That’s ludicrous. I do not believe your perception of reality was altered when you learned that goblins are a concept unless you uncritically believed they existed, in which case, you need to work on your critical thinking skills.
But you seem to be stuck on ‘goblins.’ So let’s change it while still using the same basic metaphor:
The lack of believing in gods serves as much purpose as the lack of believing in snxxzxz.
What purpose does the lack of believing in snxxzxz serve?
snxxzxz or any other gibberish isn’t yet associated with meaning. Once some gibberish would get meaning AND become embodied (ie observable existence), yes my sense of reality would be altered. Are you sure this is a critical thinking failure?
Are you saying atheism is a form of disassociation or gibberish-making of theist beliefs? If yes, I would consider that tool a purpose/function of atheism.