Eden, the fall of man, the loss of grace, the coming doomsday---these are deeply held mythic structures. They are profoundly conservative beliefs: Exactly, they are conservative beliefs.

About religions and beliefs.
When I don't believe in a religion, it means I don't believe in God. I don't believe in an allmighty who is love and mercy. I want humans to face their responsability and not rely in a God who would supposedly decide for themselves and take all the responsability. This is why there are wars: because this group believes its God told them they were right and the others wrong, because they don't want to take the responsability of a crime committed "in the name of God".
A religion without God... It exists; Buddhism comes to mind.

Environmentalists don't want to take responsability for their actions? Then, they're wrong.
But beliefs are everywhere and don't necessarily prevent believers from taking their responsability.
If I believe in something that's not , in my eyes, required to be shared by everyone else, then there's no problem with those who don't believe the same thing.
But if that belief is said to be universal (I was told and others must respect it too), then there's a problem.

Raoul