From Taoism To Infidel - Richard Carrier

I just read a very interesting narrative by Richard Carrier about his journey into atheism.

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/testimonials/carrier.html

I have always found Chinese philosophy (Confucianism, Taoism, as well as Buddhism) to be more intellectually satisfying than the theistic religions. As Richard Carrier mentioned, the Eastern philosophies says much about how to conduct oneself in society and living in tune with nature. Theistic religions, particularly Christianity, seems to be about "believe or be damned". This has always irked me. The precepts of Christianity is particularly nasty as it seems to imply that ethically and morally good people should be punished (not rewarded by going to heaven) simply because they do not believe that Jesus Christ is god, while evil doers (murderers, robbers and thieves, bullies) will be rewarded as long as the evil doer accepts Christ. Naivity and gullibility in believing in fairy tales is rewarded instead of honest effort and critical questioning about understanding life and how to live it propitiously.

Truly, the intellectual contrast is staggering. That is why it astounds me how smart theists do not question themselves more honestly and more critically about why they believe what they believe, especially when what they believe is in direct contradiction with reality. It simply amazes me that superstition still has such a strong stranglehold instead of reason and rationality in our current age, where we have the tools of science to acquire new knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.