In this New Ideal Q&A video, Ayn Rand Institute senior fellow and chief content officer Onkar Ghate responds to a reader named John, who asked:

"Dr. Ghate, you write in your article “Finding Morality and Happiness Without God” that: “A religion, no matter how much theologians may argue back and forth about points of dogma, remains just that: dogma. A religion advocates its basic tenets on faith, which means in the absence of evidence and logical argument, and even in the face of counter-evidence and counter-arguments. This is why a synonym for a religion is a faith: we speak for instance interchangeably of the Jewish religion and the Jewish faith.” Isn’t this a caricature? Plenty of religious thinkers present rational arguments for their beliefs, such as proofs for the existence of God, proofs that the Bible is historically accurate, etc. While these arguments might not be very good, isn't it a caricature to say religious believers don't offer arguments?"

John's comment arose from Ghate's article "Finding Morality and Happiness Without God."