Religion

That makes perfect sense.

If I may ask another question - in your opinion, if an individual (like myself) who claims to be a person of faith is self-delusional in this regard, would it be possible (or even likely) for me to escape the "faith trap" on my own if I see that faith as being beneficial?

For example, as you may have seen in a recent post of mine, my father died last Tuesday:
https://www.candlelightfuneralhome.com/notices/Tom-Lynch?fbclid=IwAR34Q7Emcxxl-pLx8VXkk2T6Fl4OUKIdIt7zLJWMbzB3CV98YJPvolrIkVc

During his life, my father was a very devout Catholic, and that faith not only gave him great comfort, but (in my opinion) it also helped shape his worldview and the way he treated others - with great compassion and love. My mother also shared this faith, and that faith gave her great comfort during the time he was dying - not to mention the words of support and comfort the priest provided at his funeral.

To that end, not that I think that you or anyone else in this group is trying to dissuade me from my own personal beliefs/faith, but for the sake of discussion, do you think faith is always a trap, when (for some) it may be the only available means of solace, support, and comfort?

Thank you again for the opportunity to discuss this with you.

Wishing you well and peace.

Tim