Pillars of religious bullshit
These are the main apologies and arguments for religious dogma.
1. Free Will
Of course, there is no such thing. Everything has a price. Suppose I choose not to breathe, how long will I last? Suppose I choose to break one of the Commandments, what is my destination after death? The word religionists should properly use is duress.
noun
compulsion by threat or force
2. Redemption
So you chose to break one or more of the Commandments, don't despair, religion has given you a Get out of Hell, Free card. Adolph Hitler himself could be sitting at the feet of Jesus right this minute if he had cracked open a Bible, repented, and accepted Christ as his savior on his last day in the bunker. They even have a sacrament for it.
The last rites are meant to prepare the dying person's soul for death, by providing absolution for sins by penance, sacramental grace and prayers for the relief of suffering through anointing, and the final administration of the Eucharist, known as "Viaticum".
3. Proof
Or should I say, lack of proof? When asked to prove the existence of God, religionists will answer, "Prove God doesn't exist." Some will even go so far as to claim God is an ineffable being that cannot be defined. That's called stacking the deck. When these same people are asked to disprove the existence of unicorns, they go silent, but still cling to their Prove God doesn't exist argument.
4. Community
One is almost led to believe that religion is the only form of social interaction and support. Look at the attendees of an Oakland Raiders game. That's quite a collection of partiers who meet every Sunday and break bread with one another. Or at least share a brewski. Looking at some of them, you wouldn't take them for church goers. There are book clubs, gardening clubs, and Country Clubs, among others, in which members share their love of something and give each other aid, friendship and comfort. When given a choice between a round of golf or going to church, the decision is easy.
5. Brainwashing
Religious brainwashing is hard to overcome. When your religion is chosen for you before you are even born, where is your free will now, Moses? When you only hear one side of the story, how can you be objective? When you are told that this is the TRUTH and it gets hammered into your head during your most formative years, the brainwashing is complete. Changing or rejecting religion is as hard as learning to walk in a new way.
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I mean "free" will -- should be without influence or guidance, not to mention coercion. 
--imm
