I KNOW God does not exist

Is it not strange that some of us see not need to fear the "evil" void or make up stories that would insult the intellect of a bright ten years olds and did so in my case?

If there is something beyond this life we all will find out about it in due course after all in any case.

Stories are an aspect of shared culture from which we establish our "self-identity". Thus for a theist, i.e a believer of "theistic stories", his "self-integrity" may be at stake if he were to risk deep questioning. His "self" only has meaning by virtue of it being "one of God's creations". Statistics show that there is a correlation between IQ and atheism which suggests that "risky thinking" is a manifestation of "flexible cognition". To put it bluntly, many in the population would not have the intellectual capacity or inclination to examine their self-integrity in this manner, and those that have (i.e. intellectual believers) tend towards the more esoteric aspects of their "faith" in which "holy writ" is considered to be perhaps a parody or a low level manifestation of some "mystical truth". This esoteric move essentially re-positions "self" on some nebulous or transcendental plane (as in monasteries, and other religious enclaves) thereby avoiding the practicalities of "normal social discourse" in which mundane views of "self" tend to operate.

Total nonsense

Oh yes ?...So how would you explain apparently intelligent people dealing with the fairy tales of the bible etc?

I do not think that what you said is total nonsense! Well kind of, because I see were you are coming from but I do not think that what you are suggesting is completely correct. What I am going to suggest may not be exactly correct neither!

I do not think that what you said is correct because the brains of people have many different degrees of intellect and are able to have delusional thinking.

People can believe in many other things that are not true and have nothing to do with religious beliefs!

I think that we all have a problem with absolute thinking at times and it can lead us astray.

Agreed, but only religious narrative claims to answer questions (or point to answers) about the "meaning" or "purpose" of existence. This is the specific point where "faith" tends to move away from straight "belief".(as I have described above when I mentioned Harris). The "void" is the antithesis of such "purpose".

I went back and reread your post and its claims do seem valid!

Nobody knows my friend, even those who claim they know.

Well the problem is, when people believe things without anything substantual to base it on. They believe because they want to, and have no real justification for it other than that. This is where all the problems arise and it gets exceptionally worse when they impose their belief onto others or condemn them for thinking differently.