Pope to step down 28 February per Italian news and BBC

[Stonepounder]

108. Unfortunately you are painting 'religion' with an very broad brush.

While I am at best agnostic, it seems that your are using 'religion' as a synonym for 'extremist'. While there are certainly many who use religion as a club to try and further their extreme views, there are also many many individuals who subscribe much more to the 'love thy neighbor' philosophy espoused by the founders of their particular religion, such as Jesus or Mohammad.

And, yes, based on your posts, you are a bigot. I'm not sure I understand your anger at religion. As I stated I am at best an agnostic, but I don't feel the need to rush out of the room if someone wants to offer a prayer and an event I am attending. It doesn't seem to have a detrimental effect on me. (Any more than putting my hand over my heart during the playing of the national anthem has a detrimental effect on me, and I find that much more uncomfortable.) When any group tries to force me into their particular world-view I resist. I figure that your freedom to swing your arms ends where my nose begins. But, by the same token, I don't condemn all old white guys because most extremist Republicans are old white guys.

You say that you live in a fact-based world, yet I assume that you accept quantum physics that says, essentially, that at the most basic level you can't know the facts. Is that superstitious mumbo-jumbo? I have known Catholics who were intolerant SOB's and I have known Catholics who were gentle and kind. It seems to me that painting all those who believe in some higher power as 'superstitious groups' is no better than any other form of bigotry - all Muslims are terrorists, all blacks are lazy, etc.

My opinion is that any time you lump all members of a group into the same stereotypical archetype you are being a bigot and it seems that is what you are doing.