People seem very keen to jump on my phrasing but ignore what I'm saying. So you don't like the my phrase 'religious lobby' ? Then look at the oarenthesis immediately after it: '(or lobbies)'. I am not lumping together all people who display religious faith.

I am not unaware of doctrinal differences (and it is, quite frankly, insultingly patronising to suggest I am). I'm British, I grew up seeing people in Northern Ireland kill each other on the grounds of (among other things) SECTarian (emphasis intentional) differences. I watch the News, I;ve seen the results of religious conflicts in the Middle East. I know that Faction X in the Anglican chuch is fighting Faction Y over women bishops and homosexual rights. Religious people seem almost addicted to combating the views of other religious people. Looking in from outside, it seems to come with the territory.

As for saying it's 'people' that do things - well no kidding. And from my atheist standpoint, religions are also made by people. To imagine that religions exist outside of their practitioners and consumers and enthusiasts seems very bizarre to me.

And how on earth can religion be "ethically neutral" when religions are so centrally concerned with providing ethical frameworks for their followers (less kind version: telling people how to live). Was the sermon on the mount ethically neutral????? How about all that 'thou shalt not...." stuff ? And the Koran ? 'Ethically neutral' would not be the first description to leap to mind.