And, just quickly...

Because I really need to get to bed, but while I think of it I'll add this:

I'm reading The Meaning of Things at the moment, which is just a collection of little essays about all sorts of topics like morality, nationalism, paganism, guilt and so forth. I had hoped them to be more of a drawing together of different writers' opinions, rather than the personal musings of the author himself, but they're nonetheless thought-provoking.

I liked this bit in the introduction because I think it clarifies for me one of the reasons I find most (ever the indecisive liberal) organised religions so profoundly disturbing:

Some people seem unable to allow that mankind is the source of what makes the world bearable - pity, beauty and tenderness - nor that it is human genius which is responsible for the achievements of art and science. Such people have to believe in the existence of supernatural agencies as the source of the world's good, while fathering its evil exclusively on human beings.

We are evil, evil people - and we are also wonderful. It's ALL our fault.