There are such people, Alex, and it's a hoot hearing them explain it in scientific terms...

Most people believe whatever the other people whom they trust have told them. It all starts with your parents, and goes out from there to other authority figures in the schools, the government, the churches, the scientific community, or whomever you choose to put your TRUST in.

Therefore, most people's beliefs are far more arbitary than they think or are prepared to admit.

To become a free human being you must strenuously question and re-examine every single thing everyone has told you from the time you were old enough to walk...and then freely form your own opinion...and be prepared to revise it in the light of new evidence! This is something that I find most people are quite unwilling to do. They would rather not change.

And at the end of the day it is far less important what a person believes than what his basic intentions are! (helpful or harmful)

In other words, I'd far rather deal with a helpful, friendly person who is either atheistic or religious...than a hostile, dangerous person who is either atheistic or religious. Having a good heart is more important than believing or not believing in some religious idea.

- LH