Well, Bill, There is much religion in my own family and I have to learn to understand that, though "respect" is something that, in my view, is a little harder to win. Actually, whilst respect is demanded from us atheists, I detect very little respect from religion for the non-religious stance. Quite a double standard there. In spite of Ed's ludicrous assertions about me being some sort of bully (he's a confused man - I'm just a bit persistent, that's all! ;-)), it's the religious right, who have plenty of representatives on this board, who do nearly all the insulting and the bullying (I got fed up of constantly reproducing that sailor-boy's litany of offensive remarks, for example). The argument is simple (and these are threads which entice people to take one of two sides, unpalatable as that may seem to some). Any notion you wish to promote, in the presence of those who may embrace an opposing view, is either supported by evidence or it is open to ridicule. I have no issue (as I've said many times) with the billions of people who lean on God and quietly get on with their lives. But if such folks come on here with their unsupported assertions they have to be prepared to take the flak. Religion has managed to defend itself from criticism over the centuries by dint of ridiculous blasphemy laws (not to speak of death threats), but times have changed and we now find religion to be very uncomfortable indeed with criticism whilst having no recourse any longer to these repressive methods of shutting up its opponents. That old mindset which assumed that you'd be protected by having those daring to demur burned at the stake has cast rather a long shadow. All that remains for believers of a militant ilk is to demonise their opponents, having realised that there really is no recourse to argument. We see that in these threads all the time. Ed's intemperate and frustrated rant is merely the most recent in a long line of such desperate examples.