"People have suffered and become insane for centuries by the thought of eternal
 punishment after death. Wouldn't it be better to depend on blind matter (...)
 than by a god who puts out traps for people, invites them to sin, and allows
 them to sin and commit crimes he could prevent.  Only to finally get the
 barbarian pleasure to punish them in an excessive way, of no use for himself,
 without them changing their ways and without their example preventing others
 from committing crimes."
            [Baron d'Holbach, "Systeme de la Nature" (1770)]