hypochondriac

That's irrelevant. It's still causing harm so there is clearly a problem with their belief. It's like suicide bombers who believe what they are doing is right. Every walk of life has it's share of nutters.

Not my interpretation (I don't want to go in depth about my beliefs on here) but my post above about christians covers quite a few people I know. Many just don't believe that the words contained in the bible are particularly relevant to their christian belief and it is the underlying message along with their individual interpretation of what being a 'christian' means to them which they find important. Believe it or not, not every member of a religion is evil or a nut job who can't wait to indoctrinate their kids into the religion or ram it down people's throats. I think if you knew some of the people I know (from all religions) you would be surprised.

And if that decision kills them then yes it is hurting them. Sorry I forgot how much of a pain you can be, I will qualify my statement with unless it hurts people directly or indirectly.

Some christians I know believe that the bible is more of a guidebook offering guidance for how to live life etc and that reading too in depth or too literally should be discouraged. Others believe that the bible is largely meaningless and yet believe in a christian God regardless, yet follow what they believe is the correct christian way to live.

Depends upon your interpretation.

As far as I'm concerned you can believe what you want as long as it makes you happy.

Pretty sure that counts as hurting someone.

Personally I have no problem with someone questioning the belief of someone else. It's getting abusive or nasty I don't like just because someone has faith and someone else can't understand why they would.

And you considered my response I take it?

And so because some people who belonged to a religion gave you a bad experience, it is thus OK to tarnish EVERYONE who has a religious belief?

But that generalises all religion. No doubt there are many examples of the misuse of religion causing conflict and even some religions themselves, but that does not make all religions or the idea of faith and religion evil and a negative thing.

And even if their religion is utter rubbish, how can something like that be anything other than a good thing? For many on here it seems offensive to them that someone has a faith. Worry about your own lives and let other people get on with theirs.

And more than anything else, I really want there to be a God because MLG's face would be priceless just before he is sent straight to hell for being a non believer and an intolerable bore.

The only thing I am defending on here is the individuals right to believe what they want to believe without being given abuse for it. It appears to me that it is the atheists who get riled about this basic right a heck of a lot more than a religious person does.

Well that's a meaningless soundbite. The misuse of religion can cause good people to do bad things, just as the misuse of a lot of things can cause similar results. without propaganda* - good people do good things, bad people do bad things, with propaganda* you get good people doing bad things. *substitute any number of things you like.

If someone has faith and chooses to believe in something without evidence, and that in turn makes their life better, why should they be subjected to insults or called idiots? For all you know I could be an atheist, yet I am quite happy for others to believe anything they like as long as it isn't breaking the law or hurting others. Even if I think what they believe is total rubbish, I just don't see the need to go around calling people who believe in God idiots or say hurtful things to them. It's not just about God either, I'm not a labour supporter by any means, I think some of their policies are stupid but I'm not going to call someone who votes for them stupid just because they see things differently to myself.

If it makes someone better and improves their life (and isn't hurting anyone) then I think someone can believe in whatever they want, however ridiculous it seems to me.

I don't think people are getting offended by god's existence being questioned, it is the manner in which it is being done in this thread by certain posters.

I think you can ridicule the ideas but ridiculing someone for believing in something you don't? Even if it makes that persons life better and makes them feel more fulfilled?

Basically, religion itself is not evil or dangerous. Certain people who follow religions are evil and dangerous. Religion works for some people and for others it doesn't. That doesn't make religion itself evil or dangerous. If it makes people feel better or helps them to be a better person then I'm quite happy for people to believe what they want as long as they don't go out committing crimes or hurting others. Whether it is true that children are 'forced' into it by their parents or not, ultimately normal people will grow up, become adults and be able to think and decide for themselves. That will lead to many non religious people discovering religion and deciding it works for them and equally previously religious people deciding it is rubbish and choosing to be atheist. Scientific theory, whilst seemingly logical is just that, theory. We can never definitively know for sure what is going on (look at space FFS we haven't explored even 0.01% of it!) so no one can say with 100% certainty whether there is a god or not.

The famous pedantry again. So what exactly do you mean 'to some extent.' I can give you many many examples of religious parents who to no extent have forced their children to be religious. I am sure it happens in some cases but not the 'pretty much' that you suggest. As I said, you are talking sh*t.

The stats don't really back that up, save for this year.

In the light of the post above, care to reappraise that? I know how much intolerance (and mind numbing pedantry) MLG has. He has made it abundantly clear in the past.

My parents are religious and at no point did they force me into anything. You are talking sh*t.

I don't feel sufficiently qualified to give a definitive answer either way. I see MLG is off on his crusade again. While he feels the need to ram his opinions down others' throats I do not know. If someone decides they believe in God and that works for them then who am I to ridicule them or say they are wrong? If they impose their beliefs on others or try to do something dangerous in the name of their religion then that's a different matter, but I'm not going to write off all religious belief just because of those lot.