The purpose of religions is indoctrination built on fantastical stories—some filled with kindness, others that encourage intolerance and division. My childhood was no different from that of any other child. I was taught that morality was based on what the sacred books say, and that the good are rewarded while the bad are punished. I was taught that the only way to reach God was to follow to the letter the rules established by a well‑intentioned paternalistic consortium. I don’t reject the education I received; it was the best they could have given me. However, I always had doubts about the stories they told me about people who lived 2,000 years ago—some bordering on the ridiculous and the absurd.