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It seems to me that even for a committed atheist, this is entirely a "spiritual freeroll" with no downside and only a very large upside. I'm curious about the rationale for those who wouldn't take it.

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I would definitely not kneel down and probably would have tried to make a very loud objection to this behaviour. A sort of last stand! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I find the concept of god totally immoral. I think that would he/she/it exists, the only possible (and heroic) position for a human would be to reject it with all it's might even at the risk of eternal damnation, and even if it is possibly due to a misunderstanding of the mystery of it being a loving god whilst displaying the cruelty obviously apparent in the world. Not to do so seems to be akin to people living in a tyrannical regime (Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, Mugabe, etc..), shrugging they shoulders when they see an injustice or an act of cruelty, thinking, hey the tyrant is mightier than me and I could get in trouble here, or, the tyrant must know better.

I think to object to theism is to open the possibility of compassion and empathy based on an understanding and observation of the human condition. To accept god is to side with injustice, cruelty and to condone it, whatever the cause.

So I'll go for the heroic action. I feel somehow redeemed by this and it seems to give meaning to my life in a meaningless world. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]