Quote Originally Posted by TomOfSweden View Post
This whole dilemma evaporates if you call yourself atheist. Then we can judge them by how much actual damage they are causing. The biggest problem in the world today, I'd say is people activelly fooling themselves and ignoring evidence. The sects are just cashing in on the rampant ignorance....
You're half right here, the sects are just caching in on the ignorance. Or, rather, the leaders of the sects are doing so.

People are innately gullible and want to believe they have a chance for a better life, even if it is through suicide. There are people who twist the words of every religious teacher in history to accomplish their purposes, but that is not the fault of religion. Believing that is like believing the moon is made out of green cheese.

If the entire world were populated by atheists, people would still fight. Often we make the mistake of looking at all the bad that was done in the name of religion; instead we should look at the good that was done in the name of religion and see where that gets us. There are religions out there that not only do not sanction violence, but refuse to be a part of it.