Can you give an example of this -- completely outside the usual topics here of course.
You, of course. You told me about how you thought it was all nonsense, but clearly you found value in it, reassurance, because you kept thinking about it.
And sure enough, after a little bit of time, you came to believe that it was true, as well. Assurance came first; truth second.
I would say that anyone who appears to believe for the sake of reassurance simply doesn't really believe, and as soon as some test of belief comes along, something that makes it not so reassuring but hard work or painful to believe, this will be exposed.
So, nobody can ever change their beliefs? If their beliefs ever change, it's because they didn't
really believe what they used to believe?
How do you discern the difference between the fake beliefs you hold at this point in time and the real beliefs that you'll eventually believe in and never change?
No Muslim who converts to Christ, for instance, believes for the sake of reassurance, because the immediate consequence is to put his life in jeopardy, at least his membership in his family and every kind of security. He has to REALLY believe in order to face that inevitable reality.
And yet, he wouldn't have converted to Christianity if Islam had been reassuring to him, so clearly he's already getting reassurance from Christianity.
It's always about reassurance, as the believers on your side constantly remind atheists.