RE: Just a laugh at BIG EON
It's deffinately safer using fingers then a release. The release can fail at any given moment. If you can't hold the bow using all your fingers on the string you shouldn't be drawing the bow.
I have seen some people have one get a way from them with a high let off bow. It creeps forward a hair and yanks it right out their hand. It is usually because they are drawing one that is too long and has too much weight on it. Or they just don't know what they are doing any way.
Go to pro shop and hook a release to a bow with no arrow on it and see what they say. Releases can fail, take my word for it, I've had it happen several times.
Paul