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Putting the spiritual cart before the horse like this is depressingly common, which leads to things like churches or “churches” that tell their women that the wrong kind of hairdo will take them to hell.

I see where you're coming from; but a) if your religion/spirituality has no impact on your life then it is a dead thing (see James), and b) you have to start [a thought] somewhere.
My thought here was a specific counter to the idea voiced by someone that one has absolutely no interest in his neighbor. IMO: The Statists are actually like this, their promotion of the State is because they feel that they do not have the personal/ownership-interest in their neighbor (their consciences, such as they are see even that) but seek to control him by the indirection of the State (and therefore 'bypass' their conscience).

The there "ought to be a law" crowd, and sadly I catch myself there all too often, are oft merely embracing a diluted form of the Statist's liquor... and all too often this also has mixed into it a sort of laziness/unwillingness to address one's own self.

But there is a grain of truth here, in that people who take Jesus Christ seriously ought to obey his wishes, as they will still see blessing if they do and potential curses (although for a believer, never hell) if they don’t.

Indeed, I wrote a reply to something today -- about the our horrid education system, IIRC -- and 3 out of 4 Gospels said the same thing: "better that a millstone be tied around your neck and cast into the sea than to teach [[these] little ones] to sin." ...
and it's been bugging me, though I don't know why.
Tangent: I also read an article that said Reagan wanted to eliminate the Dept. of Education; a pity he didn't.

But, back to the topic of blessings and cursing, I'm reading a book on the life of Hudson Taylor (the Chinese missionary) and he was certainly blessed for his faithful walk.
Billy Graham's "Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask." certainly fits.
Jesus said "ask" and we are commanded/urged/implored by Paul to pray; yet what is the first thing we are likely to drop on a busy day, or when we feel run down?

No wonder we need a savior; we can't even get it right when God says "talk to me."