The Keepers explained (sort of)

Why did I put this one in "Religion"? It mentions god, yes, and the title is a 
reference to Cain's famous line "Am I my brother's keeper?" But are 
these enough to justify it's placement?

Not that I have to justify anything here, but for the sake of argument, let's 
say I'd like to convince you.

Humanism has been around for quite a while, but for some reason a large 
number of people fail to grasp that it's central concept is not that there is 
no god, but that we, as human beings, are responsible for ourselves and 
each other, regardless of whether there is a god or not.

Religion without a god?

Yup. I find it instructive that the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary's 
fourth definition of "religion" is: "a cause, principle, or system of beliefs 
held to with ardor and faith." The first two definitions in this dictionary are 
tautologies (they both use the word "religious" to help define "religion," 
which is quite unhelpful), and the third is archaic.

Key words? Cause, principle, system, ardor, faith. How fascinating. Could 
it be, even, that if I hold faithfully and wholeheartedly (or in this day and 
age, even half-heartedly) to a cause, principle, or system that is not even 
codified in my mind or outside it, could I still be religious?

I like to think I am. Just as I like to think that this discussion is about religion, 
as well as other things.

Though  maybe I'm not completely humanistic. Maybe I believe there is some 
greater power out there, something of which we are a part but not the 
whole. Nonetheless, it does me good not to rely on that power when my 
own two hands will do as well or better. We are not here to go crying to 
mama everytime it hurts. Sometimes we cry, yes. Sometimes it hurts. For 
some people, the crying and the hurting never seem to stop. But should we 
yell at god and ask god why? Could not god yell back and ask us why? Why 
we let it happen?

Am I my brother's keeper?

Much as he and I both resent it sometimes, yes. As he is mine.