"Jonathan Ganz" wrote
Not really true in all cases. Some people who are born into a religion
are programmed into it and really don't have a viable choice.

Programmed? Yes. No choice? No. All one trapped in a religion need do is study
and get the facts about it. As a child, I was programmed to believe that I was
guilty of Adam's original sin but that a man named Jesus Christ had started a
church and died to save me. Then I discovered that was all false. Creationism is
a myth, but even if you buy into it Adam's punishment was that he had to work
for a living. Is the church going to take that punishment away? No! Jesus
Christ? There was no man named Jesus Christ and the person(s) we think were did
not found modern Christianity - that was Saul of Tarsus. So, thanks to
knowledge, I'm no longer burdened by these superstitions. Then I thot to
embrace Judism - until I discovered that it was based on myth and a practical
joke. Islam? Same thing. Proving that "trapped" is like being trapped in
poverty - one is only trapped if one lacks initiative - and I have little
sympathy for lack of initiative.