Tunesmith says:

Surely the church has never existed in the real world, but rather in a world invented by primitive men (!) who sought to explain the world around them by creating stories of super-beings with magical powers.
It's all too silly!

Well, yes, churches have their share of silliness; but many also have a long history of wisdom that has existed alongside the silliness, or perhaps in spite of it.
Your wide-reaching description of religious practices is oversimplified, and makes the mistaken assumption that religious tradition can only be understood literally.
I suggest you spend some time studying about the value and wisdom of myth and tradition, before you dismiss it all as "too silly."

Pete from seven stars link says, "I am surprised that joe thinks that biblical ethics reflect their era." What else would they reflect, Pete? How do you define morality? One of the first things I learned when I took courses in moral theology, is that moral principles have to make sense. They can't be arbitrary rules believed to be imposed by the Creator. Otherwise, people of faith believe in a Creator who doesn't make sense. Which, of course, is what Tunesmith thinks.

-Joe-