Children learn a fear both of god and of harmless garter snakes, the same way, by instinctually aping their mothers who learned the fear in turn from their mothers. Adults are just as reluctant to give up their fear of god as their fear of snakes. It is extremely painful to confront any childhood phobia. It has nothing to with reason and everything to do with primal terror.
~ Roedy (born: 1948-02-04 age: 64)