Well, yeah, that is my point, that the real problem is addiction itself...whatever the addiction may be to can vary tremendously. A person who is addicted is not in control of his habitual behaviour...it is in control of him. Thus he is not as free a being as he could be. He isn't free to think or act in an original and spontaneous fashion. His freedom is greatly limited by his controling addiction.

I'm curious. Which religious people have been tormenting you? And how? Do you mean directly, face to face, or do you mean in a more indirect fashion?

I've barely been tormented at all by religous people in this lifetime, but I have been tormented by a good many aggressive people, dominating people, critical people, intolerant people, ambitious people, bullying people, guilt-tripping people, competitive people, cruel people, sadistic people, mean people...plenty of those. Some were no doubt religious, while others were not, but their religion or their lack of it was not the cause of their unpleasant behaviour, in my experience...though it certainly may on certain occasions have accompanied their unpleasant behaviour.