Cheers, Shimrod. The sword of truth. That is so good I could leave it at that, but you know me...


What anti-religious message? What do I keep saying? Privately-held religious belief is respectable and dignified. It's what hundreds of millions of believers do. Beyond reproach. I have neither the right nor the desire to attack people who harbour private convictions, whether I agree with them or not, that do no harm to other people. Shall I put that at the top of every post so that you won't forget? What I object to is the improper practice of religion. All those things that arrogant believers say and do because they're so convinced that they own the truth, many of their practices so damaging (some are merely annoying and others are just downright amusing). And, Joe Offer, if you haven't spotted by now that you can't offend me, you haven't been keeping up. If, to you, a message is attacking a message, have it your way. If I really wanted to insult me, I'd accuse myself of coming out with long-winded ripostes to someone else's message. All I do is respond, not promote. I haven't got anything to promote. Address the substantive if you don't like it (there is very little of that going on in this thread - no surprise there. Not much to say about what goes on behind closed faith school doors or the penalties for apostasy? Just that I want my cake and eat it with pretty cathedrals. Ha!). The middle man really isn't anywhere near as important.

As for being zealous about opposing religion, I'm not. I don't give a damn about your religion. I give a damn about what you may choose to do with it. The distinction is glaring, though you persistently refuse to see it. It's almost as if you want to make me offend you just so that you can have it back. Just have a little moment with that idea. Good luck with it.

Joe, I'm not going to campaign to have the medieval stone cross on our village church demolished. I rather love it, actually. Incidentally, I've never seen a pretty cathedral. I've seen grand, resplendent, awe-inspiring and architecturally-magnificent cathedrals (and one or two ugly and overblown ones). They are mine as much as yours (I suspect that my tax money may help to sustain some of them, which, in spite of religion's almost boundless riches, I don't object to, as I like having a stake). They were never just yours to magnanimously share out. They are part of my heritage. Hands off. I suspect you know full well that that was not my point. The public promotion of your religion, which you think is harmless, is both tasteless and imperialistic. There is a world of difference between magnificent ancient edifices that grace our cities or villages and the ugly scene of violence, aka crucifix, or that tawdry slogan board, that some eejit has planted outside its entrance. Any argument that maybe I shouldn't want to have any of it if I don't like some of it is a little childish.

I've posted in a lot of detail about what I don't like about religious practices. I'm in a bit of a minority which makes me want to be a loudmouth. Good. I'm proud if you think that's zealous. You religious lot don't have to be zealous in promoting your nonsense because religion is already the default position. We're supposed to either espouse it or live with it, certainly respect it, or face outrage if we demur apropos of its graven images stuck up everywhere. Ironic, huh! :-)