Let’s say, for the sake of argument, I believe in god and you don’t.
Two completely unprovable opinions – in and of themselves, no harm, no foul.

Now, if I build on my belief beyond that statement – god favors me because I believe in him.

God is upset or angry with you because you don’t.

The all-powerful creator of the universe is on my side, he’s got my back – my belief in him gives him power, and his favoritism grants me power.

If, then, I reason, I can score big with god by doing something nasty to you – and I further postulate that I am indemnified against punishment by god’s commitment to me… well, if I can control god simply by believing in him… that sort of makes me god, doesn’t it? It is astonishing just how quickly internal hierarchies can be corrupted by emotion and false logic.

Faith, in this hypothetical case, becomes a free-pass, the anesthetic to conscience for the budding sociopath.

Faith is like fire – with a little rational containment and some vigilance, it can keep us from freezing to death. Unchecked, its power of destruction is limited only by the available fuel.

It is only a good thing when it is used sparingly and responsibly, when needed.