Your statement, "religion cheapens life", would seem to be highly applicable to radical islamists and, arguably perhaps even some hardcore fundie christians; and theoretically, or conceptually true, perhaps. But I don't see that run-of-the-mill christians view it the same way, generally, as radical islamists, or that even mainstream muslims necessarily hold the afterlife to be of greater value than life here, now. Just my thoughts...I may be wrong.

I guess that would depend on the individual person and what the quality of their life was like prior to "finding" religion as well as the religious teaching themselves. Religions have a lot of social structure that some people thrive on and others are limited by. Some of them actually encourage seeking outside their teachings and doing your own thinking (they do however expect you to come to the same conclusions they did). I personally think the same think about the American educational system and the political systems to mention a few.
My mother is a good example of someone that NEEDS to go to church in order to even make an effort at pretending to be kind so let her go, the world does not need her dark side completely unleashed lol.

A friend of mine was a hospice nurse, and she always noticed that the more religious the patient, the more they fought and struggled against dying. Hey, if ya got a good place to go to, why fight against going there? Never made much sense to me, but, then again, the Bible-thumpers have never made much sense to me.

Yes, I think the conference people were correct.

If practically possible, one should avoid religious freaks in the same way as one should avoid lunatics.

Not only that but with Christianity you can live an absolutely terrible life, ask for forgiveness at the end of it, and live forever in heaven. Just because you chose to believe in the right thing. Another person who lived a good life and didn't believe on bad evidence gets condemned to hell for eternity. That's a super crappy justice system.

Another problem is that all the important things are spelled out for you in one book. It stifles curiousity and learning.

Hitchens was a bit more encompassing when he said "religion poisons everything." But you're on the right track. LOL! (your statement is spot-on though) =]

That much is certain.

Well said...I agree.

I agree totally