Fair point. But then, so the story goes, God sent the flood no doubt killing most of humanity all at once in a rather capricious and vindictive act of collectiv

Fair point. But then, so the story goes, God sent the flood no doubt killing most of humanity all at once in a rather capricious and vindictive act of collective punishment (and mass murder). So there may be some cognitive dissonance going on in more than one way.