Quote Originally Posted by eggrole1
If the only/main reason for poeple fighting is in the name of a diety, how can any logical person deem that religion a good thing?
How can any observant person deem that all acts of war are perpetuated solely by followers of religion? If a few fundamentalist politicians commit an atrocity, and supposedly do so "in the name of religion", why am I grouped in along with them? How many people have I killed in the name of religion? Or the majority of other believers, for that matter? How many atheists do you suppose are fighting and killing as we speak... or have done so in wars since past? Is there even a consensus for that sort of thing? Or do they not matter, since they are only following orders from a supposed religious zealot? Are their actions forgivable under these circumstances? Religion isn't the problem here... extremists are. Why not fight them, as opposed to entire religions who are not inherently violent?

Quote Originally Posted by eggrole1
There was a quote I read about how Bush Sr made a claim that atheists were not americans b/c "we are a nation under god". To have the most powerful man in the world (at the time) say something like that should bring shivers to anyone not of his religious beliefs.
Yet you honestly believe that everyone of the same religion supports his assertion concerning the definition of a "real American"? Is it not possible that Bush Sr. was the one twisting the ideals of his religion and sense of patriotism, as opposed to the collective religion itself doing the twisting? Or because he is/was a high-ranking public official, are you claiming that his actions and words speak for everyone who shares his religious ideology? If you think that's the case, then does Hitler, Stalin, Charles Manson, the Columbine bozos, etc., speak as a collective whole for all the atheists of the world? I would never make this claim, but apparently some would liken me to zealots like George Bush, Bush Jr., and the sort just because we believe in the same deity.

You stated earlier that attacking someones choices that they've made in life is "fair game." How can you "respect a person as a person" if you feel it's fair game to attack the choices they make in life? That's not respect in any sense of the word.