Death is the ultimate disappointment
People who are smart get into Mensa. People who are really smart look around and leave.
The only difference is that religion is much better organized and has been around much longer, but it's the same story with different characters and different costumes.
The New Age? Its just the old age stuck in a microwave oven for fifteen seconds.
Heroin also makes people feel better, but I wouldn't recommend using heroin.
I believe in the basic goodness of my species, because that appears to be a positive tactic and quality that leads to better chances of survival- and in spite of our foolishness, we seem to have survived.