But what really does the damage Joe is the belief ... the absolute certainty that whatever their belief, they are right and others are wrong and that they are allowed to think this way because of the power that their 'God' gives them.

Yes you can argue this round in circles but that is the problem with dealing with a metaphysical being. Someone who has no substance ... whose existence can't be proved (there go those circles again).

It's because human beings have the power of thought and have the ability to rationalise that they also have this need to absolve themselves of responsibility for their own actions.