I'm not clear on how prejudice can ever be fair. If you are judging someone based on no information, or less information than needed, then to me that can never be acceptable, and is 99 times out of 100 going to be inaccurate.

I don't think you can be prejudice against something like rape and murder, because you already know intimately what it is about rape and about murder that you don't like it, and therefore it is a fair judgement because you can say I am against it because it is morally wrong.

It's not really the same as being prejudice against, say black people, because one stole your bike once. That doesn't mean that all black people are going to steal your bike. But, you can, if you know someone raped someone, without prejudice, understand that this person did wrong.

I'm with you on beliefs and chains though. But, I have given this a lot of thought and wonder if those chains are somewhat necessary. Life would be utter chaos if we had genuinely no beliefs. Without a belief that when you drop something it will fall to the floor, simply looking out into the world would be quite unsettling, for we'd have no sense of what is going to happen next. Beliefs bring a sense of order to the world. But, I do wonder what it would be like to have none at all, just for a moment. For literally everything to be a possibility.

Sometimes when I meditate, I try to let go of all my preconceived notions of the world. I look at the ceiling and try to forget that I expect it to stay there. Then when I start to think it may fall on top of me, I let go of that too and try to open my mind to the possibility that it may instead rise up, or change colour, or turn into a swarm of starlings and start swimming through the water that might randomly fill the room. lol.

It sounds entirely nuts but it often allows me to slip into a trance like state so much quicker.

In regards to religion I do think it can be useful, for some. But I think most use it as an excuse to stop asking questions. As you said, life is the greatest mystery. Where did we come from? Why are we here? These are questions that burden every one of us. But, they are uncomfortable questions because they are so damn hard to answer. So, people adopt beliefs, doctrines or scientific "facts" that answer those questions for them, and negate the uncomfortable feeling of not knowing. It's like giving up on a crossword because you've become frustrated that you cannot solve it.

But, I am only a few books into the Bible, so perhaps my opinion will change upon completion. I certainly feel at the moment though, that there is nothing you can observe, read or learn in this world that you cannot find within yourself. And perhaps the answers to those profound questions are also within. I am sure a lot of religions speak to this idea also.

No need to thank me. I appreciate the conversation.