I'm personally a Catholic, I don't have any problem with your personal beliefs and I won't shun you for what you believe in. Although, I was watching one of your videos someone had posted on facebook about a guy, Mark, calling from Austin, TX. It was the first time I had ever seen your show, I live in Georgia and I'm not sure if we get your show or what-not. I was interested and you had some very good points. I just have a comment to make. You used the word "Christians" as a whole. Not at all Christians are hateful against Non-Christians. I believe God wanted us all to accept everyone, which is one of the concepts I've had a hard time understanding due to the fact that Non-Christians are considered "Devils." I just believe that in order to give off the love and all that that comes with Christianity, you need to accept EVERYONE, love EVERYONE. I accept anyone: gay, lesbian, atheist, etc. I just wanted to put my opinion out there. Not all Christians are hateful against non, some of us believe in accepting everyone. (:

The problem with religion is that everyone makes up their own concept of god, but they think they are backed by a super power when they come to conclude their god agrees exactly with whatever harmful plan they come up with.

If theists don't have objective evidence for their gods, then they are responsible for the harm done in the name of their gods.

I have yet to meet a Christian, for example, who feels any sense of responsibility for the harm done by Christianity in the name of its made-up gods. The religion is a de facto scam to evade responsibility.

The problem with Don is that he does not think for himself. He rants on about religion and god as if they were synonymous. He goes on and on about morality as if he has grounds to stand on. Oh, slavery is bad because I think it is, or so his reasoning usually goes. Logic says nothing about whether we should do A or B over C. Logic does not tell us what is right or wrong or god or bad. Ethics is an appeal to emotion. That is what Dan does not understand. His values are not logical, they are just convenient. If he stated he like the idea of slavery he would be booted of the ACA and probably shunned. Slavery is not itself good or bad. It is how it is implemented and viewed. Dan likes to criticize others for making fallacious statements but never turns that criticism inward. He types here that he has "never met a Christian who has any sense of responsibility for the harm done by Christianity". I have to laugh at this. I did not realize that is was logical for people to take responsibility for the actions of others, especially if they were done prior to their birth. Also, the fact that Don is unaware of the blatant hypocrisy of that statement. Should he feel responsible for the actions of other atheists through out history? How is Don any different from the religious people he so obviously despises. He just makes himself out to be a hypocrite and intolerant bigot. Don, you are a joke.

Dan,

God doesn't do anything. If he did, we would have proof that a god exists. We have no such proof.

I can only judge Christianity by it's impact on the world. "By their fruits, ye shall know them."

You say that slavery is not bad. Would you be willing to be my slave?

You wrote: "He types here that he has "never met a Christian who has any sense of responsibility for the harm done by Christianity". I have to laugh at this. I did not realize that is was logical for people to take responsibility for the actions of others, especially if they were done prior to their birth. "

Isn't it ironic that probably ALL of the Jews that were killed by Christianity as blame for Jesus' death were born after he supposedly died. If you're so smart in figuring that out, why can't Chistendom? Meanwhile, Christians think that Jesus forgives them for the same murders, so where is the responsibility?

I really have met no Christian who demonstrated any compassion or regret for the millions of people that have been killed by their fellow believers, yet they get wrapped around the axle over Jesus alleged suffering. If he was a man, he died. Get over it. If he was a god, there was no sacrifice. Either way, you're being conned. If he was a legend, then your fellow believers murdered millions of people for no reason whatsoever.

Of all the harm your religion is doing today, I don't know of any mechanism that the religion provides to compensate the victims. It took secular morality to stop Christians from killing Jews, for example. Your God, the Bible, prayer, rosary beads, popes, ministers, and all of Christendom couldn't do it on their own.

You really want me to respect this religion?

Say "Hi" to Sally for me. At least I have the courage of my convictions.

You're the second theist I have come across, In Life and on the web, to be 'nice' in your way. I thank you.

Shannon, as much as i like your way of thinking, i think the message your bible sends to the believers is a reason for me to think your morality is better than the one of your God and the ones promoting the belief, you picked the things about your religion that you like, others interpret it in their own ways.

One of the worst passages for me is this one.

1 John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." Clearly tells us to not care about the world and all the life, which might be one of the reasons why we are not able to coexist with nature and its creatures anymore.

Deuteronomy 7:1-2, NIV. "When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you may nations...then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy." Not much to say about that.. Conquer and eradicate with no buts.

Deuteronomy 20:16, NIV. "...do not leave alive anything that breaths. Completely destroy them...as the Lord your God has commanded you..." No comment needed..

Exodus 22:18: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." This calls for the execution of all "witches." Witches.. do we know it better now? Well some countries burn and torture "witches" even nowadays in the name of God.

Exodus 22:20: "He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed." The "Lord" in this case refers to Yahweh. Literally interpreted, this verse would only apply to those North Americans who follow religions like Santeria -- who often sacrifice chickens to their Gods and Goddesses -- or to Wiccans -- who have been known to sacrifice an apple or other fruit in a religious ritual. Muslims who sacrtifice animals to their own version of the Abrahamic God, interpreted more generally, the verse calls for the genocide of followers of all religions other than Judaism and Christianity.

Leviticus 20:13: "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. they must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." This calls for the execution of men who engage in at least some form of same-sex behavior. Generally interpreted it calls for the execution of all homosexuals.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 "If there arise among you a prophet, ... saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them...And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death...So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee...." This verse is another call for genocide against religious minorities. If applied in North America, it would result in the execution of every non Judeo-Christian clergyperson, and all laity who are engaged in proselytizing.

Psalms 79:6: "Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name." This is a call to God to commit genocide against persons of other faiths who are either unfamiliar with Judaism and Christianity, or who have learned and rejected these religions.

John 8:44: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." In this passage, Jesus is speaking to Jews who, like the majority of the residents of Palestine, rejected his teachings. He says that they are sons of Satan.

2 Corinthians 6:14 "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" Paul is recommending that Christians have minimal contact with non-Christians. He compares Christians to light and non-Christians to darkness. This may promote hatred of non-Christians.

Uhh i could go on for a while.. but i think you can see why many Christians do find a reason for intolerance, hatred, even violence and wars against pretty much everybody but Christians.

I'll just leave it at that and say, I am not happy to see you submit to a God based on such a book, but i am really glad to see another tolerant and loving Christian and i wish all the best to you.

Dear Shannon,

You seem to be a very kind and loving and compassionate person and I congratulate you for it. But with all due respect you seem to be completely ignorant of the dogmas and tenets of your religion, that ipso facto, put you in a situation where you cannot truly apply these admirable principles to all those around you. Why? The answer is in the "rules" set forth by the religion you adhere to. To start with, your god only loves those who believe in him. Then, within this circle, he loves some more than others; those who are good and those who are less good, etc. If we are to believe the Bible (that has no validity or authority on what Jesus said), Jesus would have said that men are to love their neighbor, bla, bla, bla, and so on. But Jesus was a Jew and what he meant was for a Jew to love another Jew as himself, bla, bla,... because of the fundamental laws of his own religion (Judaism) he certainly could not have meant it or applied it to others who were not Jews. Every scriptural religion, including yours, has a body of fundamental truths that it cannot possibly apply to all. Universal love can only be applied on an individual level, in contradiction to the very dogmas of religion, but that a set religion cannot apply itself. Religion can only segregate and chastise those it segregates against. The Church can sanctify a Mother Teresa, as an individual, but it cannot open its "loving arms" to all of those who don't believe, or at least the way it says they should. That is why Religion is different from Belief and why it is fundamentally bad. What you seem to ignore is that your religion does not accept gays, lesbians, non-believers; the Bible forbids it. You are not just a part of a "Happy group of believers", or a "Feel-good, love-well" summer camp, but an Institution that has dogmas and an agenda; force everyone to obey. Pardon the sarcasm but it's time you woke up to this fact.