Quote Originally Posted by thir View Post
What about 'I must act like this because it is in the bible'? Or whatever religious book you have.

Well, let me see, last time I checked, the Bible, in paticular the new testament has Jesus make a little statement about such things that pretty much excludes all the old testament hard core laws that are by all rights no longer applicable even to the most fundamentalist of followers, with a simple..."Love thy nieghbor as theyself" commandment. Similar "words" and conditions are set forth in all the major faiths. So effectively anyone useing violence to achiev their ends, in all of the majior faiths is basically going directly against the major tennents of their own faith. Especially if one is taking a litteral interpetation of said tennents.

I kill gays because they are an abomination in the eyes of god. I blow up planes because my god tells me to. I kill women if they do not wear the clothes (I think) my book says they should.

Do these people feel responsible for their actions? No, their excuse is that it is the will of god!

And their "excuse" as explained above is not jusification in the eyes of their god at all but a sin against him.

I am totally in agreement with you D that people have a right to have their religion in peace, and totally in agreement with T that it must be a private matter and must not impose on anyone else.
Secularism doesnt require privacy to function...just mutual respect and understanding.