West you obsessive bigotry and ignorance is showing. When you can talk realism with balance I will begin to respect your opinion. I could'nt be bothered answering your post.

mjpb, I think you're right that Philo is playing games. I wouldn't call them intellectual - far from it. He thinks there are 'very few real atheists'. I know there are no gods - no supernatural. In ancient times these were handy to explain the unexplained. As science advances, another unexplained phenomenon bites the dust and religion retreats another step. Can anyone say that the reverse also happens?

The English did cause the original divisions in Ireland. When they settled Scottish Protestant families in Ulster, the country was almost all Catholic. The majority of the republican movement was Catholic with a few honourable exceptions such as Wolf Tone and Michael Collins while the Loyallists were almost all Protestants. By modern times, both sides were characterised only by their religion.
Going further back, if Ireland had not been converted to Christianity, the future divisions couldn't have taken place.

Another example of religios division is that of Serbia and Croatia where, originally the people were divided into Catholics and Orthodox, degenerating into ethnic conflict.

As Philo thiks that atheism is worse than any religion, what if I convert to Odinism and kneel before Mjollnir (Thor's Hammer)? Would that make things better? He needs a crash-course in realism.

Philo, I asked you on Wednesday, 12 December 2007 8:33:19 AM, What have you done?
Or do you only ask the questions?

Jack,
Some people only see their own points of view, and cannot inquire the relavence of others points of view. They are brain-washed into a conclusion and cannot question their own opinions. The topic is the relationship of religion in politics. The posed questions involve religious values upon which many laws and their punishments are formed. My point was to demonstrate that both religious values and politics are interdependent upon the values one holds. Politics is the administration of values for a society.

Being comic infantile in an attempt to denigrate others positions only damages one's self not the genuine position of an opponent.

Philo, thanks for your clarification of a reply...not! My point was that, while you ask many questions, you avoid those directed to yourself. You are still guilty of that.

I don't see how you can accuse anyone of seeing only their point of view when you refuse to accept that countless many people are real atheists and have no supernatural beliefs.

You appear to be a victim of your own accusation. BTW, what was 'comic infantile'?

Jack,
In reading your post on Wed one would assume you were merely asking a retorical question. "I brought up a family. I served my country. What have you done?"

I am a relatevly speaking a high profile person in this part of town and quite well known outside this forum. As a family man now with several grandchildren whom I love and desire to protect their future. I've been a sucessful farmer in several fields and an engineer of several products used in building. Iv'e been a political activist against the destruction of the local environment and for the protection of innocent life. I've been a educator of Christian principles to hundreds of young and now sucessful people.