Friedrich, the woman whose pamphlets lead eventually to your rather entertaining post is simply a witch and as such is an enemy of human kind. Obviously her customers are witches and sorcerers. Speaking in scientific terms to which you are more accustomed, they are biologically negative people ( degenerates) possesed by evil spirits ( mental disorders ). To a true Christian, she and her clients ( willing servants of devil ) are much more dangerous than someone like you ( person with disable soul unable to believe).
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She is clearly "capitalizing" -- in every sense of the word -- on the naive human hope that "spirits" and "magic" may be real, and may operate in human affairs.
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Naive? Lets assume that evil spirits are simply mental disorders, would you not agree that such evil spirits can indeed have a very real impact on human affairs?
[/quote] Do such people believe all the mythical stuff? The "little star in Bethlem" kind of stuff? They can't. Not at this point in history. Do they have to? What does one have to believe to be religious?
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What about "this point in history"? Is the fact that being religious is unfashionable changes anything? Because if you refer to advances in science, then you must be aware that no science has managed to disprove existence of god, no science has managed to even disprove a single event described in the Bible for that matter.
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In what follows, I wish to ask what religion is about, but also why we need it, if we do, and whether we can do without it.
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I am afraid this question is way too general. What religion are we talking about? Islam? Judaism? or Christianity? Being a religios muslim would mean that you have to pray 5 times a day. Being a religios jew would mean that you hate Christians and other goyim. Being a religios Christian would mean that you accept the truth and acquire courage to seek it and face it.
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Why are we, as a species, burdened with this common instinct to suspend disbelief and disregard the powers of reason in a seemingly futile effort to fill the universe with magical forces and/or God or gods? Will we ever outgrow this "childishness" (Freud)? Is it childishness? Does it distract us from the worldly concerns with social justice (Marx) that should occupy us? Is it merely a way of disguising envy and hatred (Nietzsche) under a cloak of "concern" and "love"? These doubts expressed by the thinkers called the "Masters of Suspicion" by Paul Ricoeur, have now become pervasive in Western culture. Everyone is a bit cynical about religion now. Should we be?
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Interesting authorities you use. Freud - homosexual, Marx - human hater, Nietzsche - mentally ill. Don't you find it interesting that anti religios feelings are often associated with mental pathologies?
Now, let me explain what religion is for me personally. In few words it is supreme freedom, freedom from fear.