I think that most of our major religions deserve all the attacks they receive. On the whole, they are scurrilous, authoritarian and controlling organisations which often preach intolerance. On the other hand, people who have made a quiet choice to follow a particular creed should be regarded as beyond criticism. Neither side need hector individuals about their personal standpoints. But we do live in a world in which religion seems to be the default position, something I vehemently object to as an atheist. I have to look at religious iconography wherever I go (I'll get over it) and my children were forced to endure acts of worship at school. My atheist tax money goes to help religious organisations and my BBC licence money is wasted on Songs Of Praise - and the archbishop gets air-time on the telly and an influential seat in the Lords simply because he happens to hold the post of Head Of Myth. Big religion simply doesn't know how to keep its big mouth shut. So, as soon as believers put their heads above the parapet in terms of attempting to spread their beliefs to others, or of criticising those whose beliefs are not theirs, they are fair game for argument. There is often steel behind the deceptively gentle proselytising and there is expression of unwarranted certainty which is very worrying. Religious certainty may give comfort to many people but it also spawns suicide bombing, let's not forget. And, worst of all, it's a pack of lies. We get religious intolerance and religious persecution because we have religion. It goes, unavoidably, with the territory.