I often equate it to advertising and its "social engineering" concept. Those people who are virtually immune to adverts and extreme Facebook posts are probably the same as those who are immune to religious ideology.

A tricky one for me to answer because while I do not and have never believed in any god, I do believe in fairies.

I have been an atheist as long as I can remember so I'm not sure I really know what its like to believe either. I have studied people for a long time mostly in an effort to understand myself. I doubt most believers have any different feelings than you have though. While an extreme focus on it for a prolonged time can induce trance-like states that most of us don't experience but most religious people don't focus like that. I expect ultimately it will come out that religion is a bio-hack that allows us to alter the neuropeptides and other messenger molecules in the body to make ourselves feel better when separated from other people but that's just my guess. It seems to serve a purpose to control feelings but I guess not all of us need it. I just think there must be a logical reason for people to suspend logic and reason. Some of us are just more dedicated to it.

Same here, for the most part.. Born once, Atheist. But someone’s watching..? Someone's calling every shot? Someone made all this - and everything we’ve discovered? Prove it.

To admit I couldn’t function within a world not run by an omnipotent if make-believe being would be to admit or confirm my insanity.. I don’t feel insane, thus why or how should or can I convince myself of such an insane concept?

So, if a normal person can figure this crap out ..why can’t everyone?

I agree with your words and I identify. As a one time believer this entire concept has escaped me today. It's hard to look back and give thoughts and feelings that back up my one time belief. The best I can say is that I thought my bible was "evidence" and so many think that way today as well. It took me years to break away and it was a gradual process. My study of the bible was part of this along with logic and a need of evidence.