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Steven Pinker

“The most obvious add-on is supernatural enforcement: the belief that if one commits a sin, one will be smitten by God, damned to hell, or inscribed on the wrong page of the Book of Life. It’s a tempting add-on because secular law enforcement cannot possibly detect and punish every infraction, and everyone has a motive to convince everyone else that they cannot get away with murder.31 As with Santa Claus, he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake.”

Steven Pinker, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress
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Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress by Steven Pinker
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