Is Homocentricity a Religion ?
Most people, even many atheists and other otherwise nonbelievers, walk through life with some preconceptions that seem pretty "religious" or "supernatural" when subjected to closer scrutiny. While this does not necessarily mean that one isn't a "good atheist," it might give some food for thought, before taking on the next religious zealot for a sound debate (not that I in any way object to such debates, one can always hope that another lucky individual gets a chance to see life with truly open eyes.)
Let me present what I would term the "arch-example" of this: A majority of people (religious or otherwise) will, if tested on the subject, admit to a feeling of superiority in relation to "mere animals." This is not to say that people feel that they can do with animals as they please; often this superiority is conversely expressed as a feeling of responsibility for the "safekeeping" of the animals of the earth, or in a more direct version: If the choice was between saving a monkey and a child, most people would hardly think to save the monkey, even if it was perhaps one of the last of its kind. This feeling of superiority usually extends to all our surroundings (plants, nature in general--even the universe).
The notion that a human individual (a life, a soul, or whatever you would choose to call it), is somehow more precious (valuable, worthy of existence) than almost anything else in the world, seems to me to be utterly pretentious and, if considered objectively and scientifically, very close to what many religions try to teach us.
Ironically, while I might agree that a person with a lot of life-experience could be said to be of "more value," even if such "value" has to be viewed objectively (i.e., cannot be of value only to humanity) than, say, a younger, less experienced, person or a puppy, most people would choose to save the child if the alternative was to sacrifice the child in preference to an adult (and certainly always in preference of the puppy).
I will note here that some arguments can be brought forward with relation to our genetic heritage (i.e., the instinct to protect the young to guarantee the next generation, etc.) Unfortunately, while the genetic "habits" tend to stick, present day society seldom warrants these "built in" responses. Indeed it is often the case that something more like the opposite behaviour would be more appropriate and/or beneficial to nature, our society, and in some instances even the individual(s) directly involved.
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