There has nothing even close to how many people have died "over the idea."

now religion is diluted in government for good reason. Religion seemed liked it started out to be the greatest idea mankind has ever and the biblical codes have been found to fortell the forture.

The Spanish, Portugal, and Papal inquisistion were all based on religion and either killing jews, muslims, protestants because the catholic were intolerant of other ideas of religion. The war on terror started on radical fundmentalist beliefs of islam. The genocides that occurred in balkin region in the 1990's was religion targeted on muslims because they believed differently. Religion tends to be a super important factor of community and residents pleaged with poverty and ignorance. The priestswho molest children in the catholic parish have told things to the children such "you go to hell if you will not tell anyone."

religion has its goods... its gives people spiritual peace?


religion seems like if it isn't controlled it can get out of hands.
The Bible, The Koran, and other books have been often misinterpreted and the result are having nation like The islamic republic of Iran and the Talban ruled Afghanistan.

Most wars are caused by the desire for power or a need to defend. Religion is the vehicle by which the powers that be get regular people to do atrocious things for their benefit (like Hitler's rein in World War II and the justification made up for slavery). But conversely religion has been used to fight corrupt reins (like Christian rebels in Viche France or abolitionists during slavery).
Religion, like technology and the free market, is not intrinsically good or evil. It's all in how you use it.

1. Most of the people making up the French Resistance were communists and socialists. When they tried to come out of the woods and attics in the post-war period, they found out that their political parties had been outlawed due to pressures of Eisenhower. While there were some leftist Catholic resistance organizations we must remember that the majority of these good Frenchmen looker the other way.
2. Slavery had long been sanctioned by the Christian churches. It is true that the Abolitionist movement had religious roots, it was quite small.

Religion, like technology and the free market, is not intrinsically good or evil. It's all in how you use it.[/quote]

very well stated
thats i agree in every aspect

religion has brought alot of good but thats because they used to create good
and about that bad...

On another note, religion doesn't cause wars, arguments, or even death. What causes wars are arguments, and disagreements between differing religions or "beliefs". You could just as easily say that the lack of religion causes wars, or that people not believing in God caused seperation of church and state, but the point is that even though our side of the story is under represented does not mean that we caused the fight in the first place. That would be the Devil giving us the choice between good and evil, and the ability to decide upon it.

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I'm moving to Canada

Mr-Soviet

Sorry, I can't agree. Religion is intrinsically evil. Religion is organized and ritualized denial. Denial of what? Denial of reality. As long as man clings to his fantasys he can not fully embrace his real responsibility to himself and his fellow man.

So, saying all of that, would you say that we were not respecting our responsibility to our fellow man by showing love? Or by saying something nice? Or by giving people hope? Because that is the purpose of religion. Religion isn't a fantasy at all, but a way to spread the good news about something greater than our puny minds can comprehend. All of the facts of life come together in a spot we can't reach, in a place unexplored by the ever curious man. Just as ants look up and wonder at the sight of man, man must look up and wonder at the sight of God.

No hard feelings.

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I'm moving to Canada

Mr-Soviet

of life. You simply cannot know everything. And the human mind can't help but to fill a few holes in the story of life by making something up or choosing to ignore some other part of reality. Now some reality patches are more logical than others. But if someone is going to believe something far out, I prefer that the far-out belief leads them to do nice things.

And I would wish that they not insist that you subscribe to their particular far-out belief, since there is no objective evidence either way.

I have no problem with believers. I *do* have problems with believers who try to force me to participate in their beliefs, either directly or indirectly.

I have a similar problem with atheists or agnostics who insist that others *not* believe the way they do. Or who bait and taunt believers. Or anyone who uses the bad behavior of some believers (or nonbelievers) to criticize *all* believers or nonbelievers.

It boils down to this: Religion is personal, and there's no proof either way. Accept that, respect that, and we can get along just fine. I won't push my beliefs on you or judge your beliefs if you extend the same courtesy to me. Cool? Great! Let's go have a beer!

Unless, of course, the other person doesn't drink.

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Man up.

As long as it's good beer. Killian's, Guiness, or a nice microbrew. I guess I can handle Bud. But the Milwauki Beast bears a fitting name and MGD is surely the devil's work. I guess after a few pints of Bud, I can drink an MGD for Jesus though. If that happens to be his house beer and he offers, I won't turn it down. That's just rude.