I wrestle with that. Its why I only talk about this here and with a very select people.We dont anymore but we use to. You guys just dont like Muslims giving you theists a bad wrap. They are just an extreme version of your irrationalism. Did god really talk to Mohammad or Joseph smith? Oh but he did talk to your ancestors? I doubt it.It's still unhinged zealot religious fanaticism, is it not?
The denomination is of little relevance. Fanaticism is fanaticism. The OP left a lot out, but his assessment of "theists who dont like athiests and free speech" does in fact hold true. Sometimes we have to stop looking at the tree and see the forest it's part of.
There IS a difference though. Christians, in general, as well as Buddhists and Hindu's, don't resort to extremist violence like Muslims do. Color me unsurprised that you ignore the difference.
I'm not a theist silly boy. I'm agnostic. I do however respect the views of others. Why don't you? what makes you think that you're so special that you can ignore common courtesy?
I truly think its bad for us. Maybe you think its good for you and maybe you'd be lost without it but its a crutch and a lie is a lie no matter how good it makes you feel.
So I'm hoping humans get off this rock and live forever. That's gonna take a really intelligent society. I also hope we go green. That's gonna take a smart people too. We just aren't smart. I think religion plays a part in that. We are still a very young new primitive scared curious unknowing superstitious species. Time for us to evolve.
How many wars have we caught in your lifetime? We can do better. How many people are hungry? We can do better.
Are you not conveniently overlooking the good that people do in the name of religion?
When you look at medieval Europe in the dark ages, you might forget that real Christians were oppressed by Catholic church, the monarchies, etc. Much like the state of Islam, it was be one of us or be killed. When the Church of England broke off finally from the Catholic Church it was only cos the church's power had dwindled. But when Saxons wanted religious freedom, they had to sail to America. What if Christianity hadn't existed? Do you somehow think that the oppressive rulers wouldn't have existed? That is fool hearty. It's a pernicious belief.
Some morons like to point to the Crusades and make that about Christian dominance. But if you really look into it, you'll find that it was a defensive campaign against a barbarous people. The fact that they rallied around a religious focal point is not the problem at hand. If it hadn't been that, it would have been anything of virtue.
Look at America. It was founded upon Judao-Christian values. Never before in the history of the world had a grand democratic institution been created. The idea that men were created equal was not a principle upon which nations had been built. Now, I'm not going to give all the credit to religion. But what I'll say is that it is indisputable that it was a great force for good in this nation and has been. The 'Greatest generation' that fought in WWII were Christians.
![banghead :banghead: :banghead:](/styles/smilies/banghead.gif)
This country was founded by the Liberals that founded it specifically to throw off that control by the First and Second Estates, meaning the "nobility" and its co-conspirator the Church that acted as its Enforcer. That's exactly what "We the People" is all about -- "we" rather than "they". It's the whole point here.
That means we set up what we have politically in spite of, and in defiance of, the Church. In no way as a result of it.
And no, we're not founded on "Judeo-Christian values". We're founded on Liberal values. You're not entitled to your own history.