Non-stamp collector

I've always been an atheist. I say with certainty for one reason, really. At no point in my life have I looked skywards and, when alone, asked for anything. There have been mutterings, but these were never aimed at any one, or anything other than myself. I was telling myself off, or urging me to do something, or get something done, or get out of a quagmire. I never went to church voluntarily, and when I was there, I was dragged there for some reason or another, and spent the time pondering my navel. 

I do find the thought of a supreme being to be incredibly interesting. Not so much for the supreme being itself, rather for the people who blindly believe, (of course any faith is implicitly blind), and will spend their lives with the thought that in the background, watching over them is this thing of unimaginable power. I could never figure out how people could do that, after all, if I thought I was always being watched, with this presence in the background, how do you relax? How on earth can you live your life with these ever present watching eyes, judging you 24/7? It seems religion has more in common with 1984 or North Korea, than any notion of a free society. 

The power this being has over their lives is indelible. What you eat, who you fuck, who you speak to, who you see, what you watch, etc, is all, seemingly, jotted down in some celestial personell file, and stored away until your life ebbs away. It is only then, apparently, where the adventure starts. It is then you are either adjudged to be worthy, and enter a kingdom akin to Paradise, or a place called Hell. Unfortunately it matters not what you have done in your life, (you could be a mass-murdering fuckhead, a rapist, and so on), but as long as you believe, and ask for forgiveness, you are in. Which is nice. However, if I have led a good, generous, and charitable life, but do not believe, I get to burn in hell for eternity, which is nice. So it doesn't matter how good you are, as long as you say the magic words at the end. 

Of course, where would you rather be for eternity? At a Bishops house, or the rock stars house? I know what I would choose. remember, you're there for eternity! ;-)

So here I am, an atheist amongst a sea of people who believe in a supernatural force beyond our sensory range, (including scientific sensors... How convenient). Why do they do it? What drives them? They talk about this faith thing, but I fail to see how in our technologically literate age, and in a civilised society, they can believe such superstitious guff? We don't get this worked up about ghosts, or fairies at the bottom of the garden. I wasn't aware of people taking umbrage whenever people discussed the existence of ghosts, or Loch Ness either.  For some reason, and only those who believe can explain, why is it so guarded? Why is it my belief, or lack thereof, is seemingly a substandard stance to take? It's not because I am an atheist either, for they are as equally guarded against other religions too, each taking their superior stance. Why is religion such a taboo subject?