Very similar to my up bringing and beliefs Graham.Originally Posted by grahamw48
Not really.
I'm always happy to listen to another point of view. (Usually the religious people aren't quite so accommodating of course).
I didn't decide to be an atheist because of my lack of religious knowledge...on the contrary.
In fact RE was one of my best subjects at school, until the age of 16 I attended church every Sunday, and my grandfather was a Methodist Minister.
At some point in life you have to decide whether you're going to go along with the brain-washing or consider the subject objectively, and then draw your own conclusions. That's what I did.
Most religions in their basic form promote tollerance and peace. Unfortunately power crazy individuals twist a religion to suit their own desires for oppressing others and a feeling of supremacy.
I really don't care what others believe in, I'm happy to listen to their point of view as long as they don't think think they are somehow superior to me or try to force me to accept their view. I believe what I believe but I would never force or expect anyone else to believe what I believe. The far right Christian Fundamentalists, and various sects or cults that are huge money making machines and political lobbies in the US wind me up just as much as the Muslim extremists.
The extremist Islamic preachers annoy me intensely, not because of their belief, but because of the fact they preach hatred against the west but they are still happy to live in the west and milk the system.
