As Francis Schaeffer said, religion and philosophy are trying to answer the same questions.  (Your second and third paragraphs agree with this.)  But...<p>&gt; With the rise of scientific thinking, we&#x27;re seeing a rapid increase in the number of folks who identify as agnostic or atheist. This is natural given that the tenets of most major religions can&#x27;t be tested or validated via experimental methods.<p>The tenets of most major philosophical positions can&#x27;t be tested or validated via experimental methods, either.<p>Sauce for the goose...