re: "unquestioning obedience and brutal domination"
I tend to agree with you. If I came off anti-religion, it's more to throttle Tom's black and white statements. Someone needs to balance the poor misguided boy from time to time.
I live in a mixed family. My wife is spiritual and I'm an atheist so I have extreme tolerance for open-minded thinking. It's one's actions I judge them on, not where they go on Sunday mornings.
Art