text: if religion is so "right", why did it have to force itself on mankind? with threats and bribes?  lets face it, the thing that kept (and keeps) most people "religious" for the better part of two millenia was fear.  fear of eternal damnation, fear of excommunication, fear of inquisitions, of heresy.  when the fear card was all used up, religion switched to bribery.  eternal joy, eternal salvation, etc.  and now, as people get smarter and smarter and see the control mechanisms for what they are, even the bribery is starting to lose its allure.  decade after decade, century after century, religion keeps making tired promises it can't deliver.  remember all the wild stories of the rapture in y2k?  remember the mass converts following 9-11?  where are all the prognosticators and "fair-weather" faithful now?  skulking around with their tails between their legs since christ never came, and our way of life didn't screech to a halt following a tragedy.  how can intelligent, educated people fail to see religion for the crutch that it is?  or, maybe they do? it doesn't force itself on mankind. you have choices! we all have an opportunity to see what is true or false! except you continue to try to prove that you are right why is that?