The issue is not that religion is good and non-religion is bad. It is about knowing and following the truth--the one true God, who created us and who owns us. That God has revealed himself in the Bible, through the prophets of Israel, and through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is Christ who is good, and when a nation follows Him, that nation is transformed.

What a remarkable comment made by Bill "the fact that it is the Judeo-Christian religious tradition in particular that gave birth to both the notion of human rights and modern science".

ROTFLMAO.

Indeed, nothing could be further from the truth. What an absurd, inaccurate and outright deceptive lie that comes from the fingertips of this christling.

If this statement were true, one would expect closer similarities in HR and Science in Western (Roman) and Eastern (Byzantine) christian traditions. Where the Western tradition prospered, the East failed. Upon closer examination one finds that xianity did not appear in a vacuum. Cultures existed prior to xianity. The West was dominated with rich Celtic and Tutonic cultures, both already developing scientific and social ethos.

Xianity gave us the Dark Ages, and the burning of scientists as heretics. Even Gallileo was excomunicated for stating and proving the earth was not the centre of the universe. Until the Renaissance and Reformation, Xianity provided nothing but ignorance. Islam brought to Europe mathematics and medicine - not the other way around.

Instead of progressing the course of science, christianity was forced to accept facts and proofs - the Scientific Method evolved so as to stop the church burning the "heretics" as "Gods Works" could be shown to be part of "His Plan".

The Western Xian tradition has a science tradition not because of Xianity but INSPITE of it.

Its a shame people (such as Pam) seem to overlook that religion has also provided some of the greatest benefits to mankind. As one example, just look at the various aid organisations around - a signifiant proportion of these are run (or founded by) various religious organisations. The same can be said for many of the charities locally around Australia. Many religious entities in Australia provide a great service to their community.

Hilter is one of the classic examples of non-religious people who have slaughtered millions. A motivation no doubt from greed, and the quest to create the perfect race, than any such religious motive.

Lets not lump all religions together, but judge each one on its own merits.

Gecko you beat me to the draw. I too left Christianity because,inter alia,I could not reconcile belief in a loving/merciful God with an eternal hell.

If I were to write an apologia its opening paragraph would be:
Sin is personal, no-one can sin for you or on your behalf. Any religion based on your need for salvation because of someone else's sin is based on a non sequitur.
As for science and religion: if God had any respect for science He would not have written such an unscientific account of the creation.(Slightly off topic.)

Bill and Pamela both miss the point here. Technology and religion are ethically neutral. It the people using it who make it "good" or "bad".

The twentieth century saw more slaughter because we were technically capable. A hammer and axe can be used to build a house or to hit someone on the head.

Similarly religion can be used to spread social justice or to repress whole sections of the population. It just depends on how it is applied.

Sadly despite all our technology, our brains do not seem to have evolved since the stone age, as can be attested by 9/11, Abu Graihb, Screbernica and many other recent events.

Now only a dribbling fool would argue against the notion that creation augers well with 'evil-ution'
Maybe, just maybe this Creator has dumped m/kind into a super play pen. In this play pen or mortal, fleshy life we just act like normal selfish incredibly nasty humans. We belt one another with our spades and buckets, push each other over and, of course, steal from each other.
Now maybe, just maybe this is all in the plan of this Creator so we can see and experience the awfulness of and the results of sin or for you atheists read abnormal behaviour.
Now maybe, just maybe, at the end we will all- that's all including you God haters and pagans (just had to get that word in eh!) will be changed to live a spiritual eternal life.Just maybe eh? numbat