There are certainly a lot of puppets running around or should I say lemmings.

Doing your best or trying to can sometimes go either way. Giving up is not an option. You will never fail, only if you quit.

or so they think

If they really existed, then maybe they would. The easter bunny and santa claus have more influence on our lives.

Haha. I think we have the power to do both--create incredible things and destroy them or each other or the pad we live on. I an unsure if religion is about social control or offers multiple reasons not to take responsibility for our creations.

My Jewish parents always threatened "god will punish you."

If I do good it’s me and if I do bad it was the dog.

I mislaid my pen at a workshop and, because it was March 17, I said, "Leprechauns probably took it". During the next coffee break, one of the men attending the course lambasted me for defying god with my belief in the supernatural and leprechauns in particular. He went on about Satan, demonic possession and how my comment had defiled the entire class. I was afraid he was going to assault me, but all I could think was "but you believe in the physical existence of Satan?!" It was a very odd encounter.

People in general have difficulty accepting responsibility for their own actions. It's easier to abdicate to someone/something else.