the God critique was originally my second column, but the BQO editors liked it so much that they bumped it up to number 1, and it was, in fact, the most popular article on the site for the entire month. So there!

It was a critique of a rival ( a rival who has had a lot of influence in the past few years) in the god bothering stakes Mr Shermer. Did you never consider that that might have an influence on why BQO(Templeton) liked it?

So there, Indeed!

And...

Trade makes us less likely to kill our potential trading partners.

But it doesn't stop you killing (or find other inventive ways of harming the other) anyone who your not trading with, and who maybe you have a beef with? Or maybe they have something you may want - lets say oil - but dont want to trade with you. Oh that's right we don't talk about that.