Posters to this thread should go now to the one called its our fault.
Read Foxys post, a commited Christian Catholic I think, no one says it better.
We the whole world, can not move forward if we let even more reildgions interferer with humanity's progress.
Read also the horrible emerging story in this morning press about yet more child sexual tragic events at the hands of Christians in Ireland.
While we talk of whiskers we surely know its much more important than that.
Can each of us, just for a second think deeply on our beliefs?
Those commited to a Christian church, those from any other too.
Think how easy we you I every one discard all other reildgions, say they follow the wrong God, even that they are not going to heaven.
Now understand THEY the other side think just that about us.
Your God who ever he/she be is said to be the one, to have made us all.
Why then the difference Why the hatred bigotry even need to kill for some followers of another God.

Belly: “Why then the difference Why the hatred bigotry even need to kill for some followers of another God.”

Maybe we need to Belly – maybe humans need something to rage against or we just don’t feel complete. May be one of those things deep in the DNA. We weren’t ever until recently top of the food chain, hate was probably a good healthy sustainable emotion that kept us warm and motivated.

I think having the hate was about fear and to overcome fear we had to think something bigger was out there was going to protect us and it made us braver.

So for the poor atheists out there I guess we need look sideways instead of up?

Realistically – if what Peter says it right then the why of it doesn’t matter, it may be necessary to fix the courts. And (if I get what Steven is contributing) we’re stuck with God/s and the religions and cults so society needs to follow the dominant one in any given country because of all the hate/fear and inability to see maybe the other side could be right? For peace we need to be bigots?

So yeah wish I could get my head round this thought that someone can’t do something because another’s belief says they shouldn’t, and if belief was withdrawn from the equation it wouldn’t be a big deal.

I think the best idea would be to get rid of the notion of "A GOD" of any discription, then... just think of it. No bigitory, no hate, no war. Ahh...Peace at last.

Not so long ago, we all had to stand for the National Song "God Save Our Queen".

We got rid of that.

Now religious people in the Third World are using religion to wage war against the West, and religious people are fighting each other in Northern Ireland.

Religion has no part in public life. It divides people, increases costs, disrupts culture, corrupts public policy and misdirects resources. Religion should be practiced privately where each individual can engage in their own incantations without feeling pressured by priests, nuns, and radicals.

We need to have a broad based campaign to correct distortions in our education, health, and welfare systems due to religious sensibilities. Where religion affects provision of services, people otherwise entitled may miss out.

This is pure injustice and cannot be tolerated.

Democratic Freedom means the right of belief in what ever you like. To some it means belief in the spiritual dimentions of reality; to others it means belief in the right to indulge in basic human drives for selfish pleasure or macarbe reasons. That is why we have law and order as some have no conscience. Conscience is the boundary of a functioning society. Some have no socially responsible conscience and no image of a loving God upon which to base their behaviour.

Having no God is not the answer it only exacibates the problem, as conscience lets us know where we fail

Having no God is not the answer it only exacibates the problem.

So Philo, are you saying that it's better to have a possible make believe Phantom, aka, God, then just Laws set by the Government (the people)? Are you saying you are in favour of rule by fear?