Good post Pericles, I suspect it's all of the above, and more besides.
Actually, I put it down to mass education, prior to that most people didn't think, they "knew" what to do in most situations. Then suddenly there's all these people actually THINKING about things, millions of them, and among a number like that, inevitably, weird ideas and outlooks took hold, let's face it, even with "education", most of us aren't really that good at "thinking", lol.
And here we now are!
And educating and freeing the womenfolk! That really unleashed Pandora's box! Strange Ideas indeed!
Ahhhh, the good ol' days, when men ruled the roost and the world was perfect, lol,.......I wish! Nope, love it or hate it, we're stuck with it, lets hope we really do learn something worthwhile eventually, and survive long enough to make the world a better place!

I wish they'd ban tax because paying tax makes me feel all those things. How dare they!

The denial of the corrupt nature and the completely flawed premise of modern psychology gives everyone the excuse not to accept responsibility for their actions. From the case of the judge imprisoned (who still considers himself an honest person) to the violent environmentalist (who justifies his/her violence on the basis they are saving the planet) the obvious is denied. From the child molester who says they were born that way to the Politician who makes promises knowing they can't or won't keep them (ask Mr Rudd) one day we will face the fact that we have corrupt natures and the denial of it (as does psychology) is just plain self righteousness. Whenever I have done wrong things (sinned) it is because I have decided to obey my adamic nature which is common to all humans. Different environments lead to different manifestations of that nature. Normally religous environments including environmentalism releases hypocrisy.It is only at the feet of Jesus that one can be delivered and forgiven from this state of corruption that many deny but all wo are honest know they have.

Runner, I agreed with you right up to the last sentence, and there we part ways, sorry. You use Jesus, I use intellect, to the best of my abilities anyway. I guess we'll never know who was right, since even if YOU are, once you die you put all earthly things behind you, don't you?

Always wondered about one thing, Christians believe all their deceased relatives (of good repute), are in Heaven, and they pray/talk, whatever, to them, asking them to intercede with the Angels, Heavenly authorities etc, on their behalf, right?
Sounds a lot like all the various other forms of what's derisively called "Ancestor worship", to me. I realise Christians aren't "worshipping" their dead, but neither are most of the others.

I feel the powers to pull me into my past, into your past, into our past.
I feel the powers to push me on the highway of my future, of your future, of our future.
Listen, the cry of a newborn child, it is the cry of my child, of your child, of our child.
I see far on the horizon black big clouds, the lightings, I heard the thunderbolts, scary weather for me, for you, for us.
The forest gone, the wild animals from the forest gone, I lost them, you lost them, we lost them.
Every where on the beach there are dead fishes, around me, around you, around us.
On our planet thousands children need food, need water, need medicines, need books. These children are my children, your children our children. DO NOT FORGET THEM!
I know it, like it or not, I am part of you and you are part of me, we not only have common past but we will have common future ...
After the midnight in the graveyeards, the seouls of the deads, start the big celebration, waiting for me, waiting for you, waiting for us!
AS IDIOTS LET'S START THE FIGHTING FROM THE BEGIN! OR WE ARE NOT?
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

*I think we'd all like you to write down more bible quotes.*

Err Houllie, don't encourage them lol. We had Boaz for years,
with his pages and pages of bible quotes, which meant alot
of scrolling. They really believe this stuff and take it
seriously.