Reply #79: And I fully agree with you on this.

[IrateCitizen]

However religion, specifically Christianity, and religious freedom, are among the defining issues of the time and I feel that the non-religious and atheist are or should be entitled to enter that debate strongly. By strongly, I mean that religion should be open to full and frank criticism. And that means all aspects of it - doctrine, mythology, background, key players, and adherents.

If my beliefs can't stand up to scrutiny and close evaluation, then they're not all that strong to begin with. Personally, I think of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" when it comes to how fervently people express their religious beliefs. If they express their beliefs in the term of convictions, it is because those beliefs represent a flawed tapestry that could unravel just by pulling a single loose thread. They're trying to project strength in order to hide weakness.

For those of us who approach our beliefs with humility and constant questioning and searching, we are trying to make our belief system stand up to the closest scrutiny and hardest challenge. I strive to be in this latter group.