"They were not executed because of their perceived hostility to religion, either. They were executed because they were perceived to be a threat to the regime in power, who want to remain in power. Religion only provided the pretext. In the absence of having religion to use as a pretext, another pretext would be found."

Precisely, Carol.

What makes me more than a litle queasy, Jim, is the kind of bigotry that drives someone to tar millions of decent, honest, hard-working people who happen to have faith with the same brush as the minority pieces of shit who rape children under their 'protection'.

As LH and CarolC (and I) have stated - religion is a bandwagon that people jump on in order to grant themselves authority to carry out their evil-doings. It's people who are the problem, not faith or even lack of it, these things would happen even if there were no religions, the bastards would merely latch on to some other bandwagon.