[Ydiss]

[quote="ED! Ban #127":39055]No way in hell I'm going through 12 pages of this shit, but I will comment: ---- Rest of post ----

So I remain an agnostic.[/quote:39055]

Your belated post pretty much sums up what the entire 12 pages have discussed already, Ed, minus a few ideas, theories and allusions to modern examples. I cannot disagree with anything you say, really.

I'd say a lot of good discussion has happened in this thread (much more so than that USA V Europe one) and I've actually enjoyed it.

I will leave it with one last point (from me at least.. unless someone replies directly).

Religion can be wonderful and it can be horrible.

Those that defend religion by saying "It's not the religion that causes conflict, it's the person - they will always find something to fight over, even if religion did not exist" are only partially right.

I don't think it's fair that religion should be spared all blame.

It's not right to claim that religion does not have to be truth it only has to be belief and then say that it is excused when someone acts on their beliefs to cause harm.

If someone straps explosives around their body and takes out a bus-load of people because they believe that they will reach paradise then they are doing so because of that belief. They would not have done so if they did not believe.

And seeing as every religious person here (and some who aren't) have said religion is all about belief then that belief is partially responsible for their actions.

It's not fair to claim that belief in God on one hand leads to positive things and then to claim that it cannot possibly be responsible for negative things.

It is how that person interprets their beliefs that makes the difference.

And that is why I believe that no one person should be punished for what they believe in, rather for what they do.

Otherwise, you should all accept that religion guides a person's action whether it be positive or negative.