@wafflehead - I won't go into whether religion is true or false, it is obviously a very human need, otherwise we wouldn't have so many religions all through the world, all vying for membership, conversion. Well, maybe not all are competing for converts. Worldly systems even are based on the dichotomy of right and wrong - capitalism is the antithesis of socialism - each viewing the other pretty much as the 'devil' as proposed by religious faiths.
So what is it in humans, which drives us to be religious, or simply be indoctrinated?
I think that is the great mystery and each one of us will have an individual answer at death - so no point arguing over it - I say.
But you said, the value of each individual life is zero, if not connected to some great truth - and I have an issue with that:
I believe the simple fact of birth of each individual, the life lived, whether successful or not, the joy, pain, awe, possibly religion experienced by us is something which fills our lives to the very end. I believe we all come to feeling towards the end of our lives, particularly if we are unwell, that we have had enough, that we no longer crave new experiences and simply want to sink back into the arms of morpheus and sleep eternal sleep. If we are religious, we have the comfort of knowing that an all-loving father will welcome us onto his bosom.
If we have led a good life, I believe, we will find it easy to say good-bye - in truth: I don't know - until that moment . . . . .
Go well
Taurisk
