Susan - With the greatest respect, the subject/title of this thread kind of indicates its nature, and it's not uncommon for non-believers to have negative views on religion. That shouldn't encumber intelligent discussion between reasonable people though.

When people respond to a post of mine as if I am a RC and as if I am defending the RC Church, that doesn't indicate an effort at intelligient and reasonable discussion. It indicates people so mad that they post without reading posts.

The discussion has moved from the thread title to a serial attack on all things religious. That also indicates not an effort at reasonable and intelligent discussion, but an effort to persuade people to a negative viewpoint and/or vent old resentments.

In that type of atmosphere, an effort at reasonable discussion is inevitably met with continued negativity, because the goal of so many here is not discussion, but venting and persuasion. One has only to read this thread to see it.

~Susan