BLIND FAITH

If you really want a good read about the way humans have used faith to bypass reason, then get a copy of this book, "Blind Faith" by Chester Dolan, Prometheus Books, 59 John Glen Drive, Amherst, New York, 14228-2197, USA; ISBN:0-87975-931-3.

Here is an extract from Chapter III:
"The religion of 'nonreligionists' is a call for nonconformity, for reason, and for true love of one's fellow-man. Any sermon or religious precept that has nothing to offer in the way of social welfare or peace for mankind deals with mysticism, not religion. The only religion that will serve mankind operates in nursing homes, prisons, mental institutions, and in the street of ghettos, not in magnificent cathedrals. It demands study and reflection, not worship. It is a total and unrestricted development of ethics, not pageantry. The measure of this religion is our responsiveness to feelings of conscience when dealing with others, contrition when we realize we have been ungenerous or discourteous, awe when confronting extraordinary talent or beauty or saintliness, courage in the face of danger, distress in the presence of suffering, or despair over our helplessness to relieve such suffering. The truly religious person learns that virtue is its own reward, that there is no reason to postulate heavenly rewards for the person who has led a moral life."