I'm honestly curious. (Context: I grew up in northern France and in the Netherlands, I'm 37 and male.) I am really not used to being touched and would never even consider breaking into someone's personal space. Exceptions for my girlfriend or shaking hands, of course. How does your need for physical contact feel? How can you tell whether the other will react well or not? Do people change after you've touched them? What happens in your mind if you have to keep your distances when you'd rather initiate contact?

For me, human babies fall in the uncanny valley; they look like mutant deformed adults to me. It's probably due to a lack of exposure; I'm 37 and the only contact with babies I have is when they scream in the train or the the plane. Baby bunnies, though <3!

And Soviet Union hasn't existed for the past twenty years, but the North Korean people wouldn't know that.

Op's got many friends.

I live in the Netherlands and work in academia. The number of people I know who believes in magic or gods is zero. People around me not only put up with me, but also can see ridiculous claims for what they are. In northern Europe, if you're going to make assertions about the fundamental nature of the universe, you'd better back up your claims with evidence, otherwise you're just a fanboy.
People around here take claims about gods as seriously as claims about pixies and leprechauns; it's up to the believer to show evidence. That's how it works in a court of law and anywere in life. "I have faith that your girlfriend cheats on you", do you believe me without evidence? I hope not.
For everything in life we require some level of evidence. Why would religious claims be exempt? I'm just being consistent. Loch Ness monsters, gods, same method.

Oh, sorry, you're the one who got it right; I hadn't realized. It's just so hard, you know, since this perfect and omnipotent god failed at communicating so badly that there are 40 major branches of Christianity, a number that keeps growing. You guys get your stuff sorted out, then we'll talk. As for misreading the bible, which parts?

Indeed, no idea or ideology have any effect on behavior, ever. For example, nobody who honestly believes in the idea of martyrdom and its free pass to heaven has ever blown themselves. /s

Uh, no. Ken Ham does that, and he's being ridiculous. I am glad that the Pope isn't following the Bible, because otherwise there would be slavery and stonning in every street, and nobody wants that. I just wish the Pope and other religious leaders would ditch the rest of the book since they're already smart and decent enough to ignore the worst crap they contain.

Obviously not.