...and I was considering this just yesterday, “It seems, to the religious the ends justify the means.” And, that was my conclusion, too..

What does that say about those constantly touting their supposed moral superiority? I hope the whole world is watching ‘US,’ perhaps some will recognize the worst of their cultures as they do

@Varn Problem is, these people have been touting 'moral means christianity' they can't (or won't) see the hypocrisy.

@JackPedigo Oh yes, quite true. One of the absolute WORST behaviors of a True Believer is moralizing. It's the dirtiest of dirty words.

@mischl I would say, in this case it can be called 'immoralizing.'

“I only tolerate believers because it's required by law” ...hate it when I blurt out “God Damn!” ..but that’s another Bumper-sticker moment

Jim, I completely agree with you!

Militant atheist. Atheist militant. Man I love that terminology. Thank you. Forget waiting for my agnostic.com shirt. I am going to make my own. "Proud atheist militant".

@Heathenman Right on! ...gave my Agnostic.com T away before they sent it (though love this place)..

Do look into American Atheists [atheists.org] The first, the best … and a great place to throw money when you’re really pissed off at religion

I was raised as a fundamentalist atheist...

@Heathenman You'd get on fewer police & FBI lists if you call yourself a proud militant atheist vs. a proud atheist militant...

@Grahame: And this will happen when?

@Grahame: That's known as anecdotal evidence.... This is not happening on the planet. We have data, Nightly News, Congress, the Us/Them debacle. That it's happening in your house is awesome. I hope that it's happening in other's homes as well, but unless we make a determined effort to evolve in our thinking, we will not survive as a species.

Little things can do great things. But for every little thing that has managed to beat the odds, tens of thousands of little things dried up in the desert unable to get hold of life.

@Allamanda Current age Sikhism recognise equality in society for women.

Australian Aboriginal society is leadered by women. It must be noted that, as with most indigenous cultures the term and praxis of ‘religion’ is a non-sensical concept as their social structure, cosmology and history etc. are intertwined as their culture.

For m'self, I've adopted the practice of Zen meditation and a mindset of Zen Buddhism, which entails NO belief system, no gods, no angels, no praying, no scriptures, and no bullshit.

So, and correct me IF I am wrong, BUT are YOU saying that Non-Theists are responsible for the Crusades, the Genocides committed against the Native Peoples of Africa, Sth. and Central Americas, the Deaths and Destructions wrought by the Hebrews in Exodus, the Flood of Noah, the Destruction of Sodom, etc, etc.
NOW, before you attempt to use Circular Reasoning to refute my comment, TRY to remember that the Terminology THEIST does NOT merely refer to those who FOLLOW the Teachings, etc, of the Supreme Deities of the Xrstian, Hebrew or Islamic Religions, IT refers to and includes ALL Gods/Goddesses/Deities past, present and possibly Future as well.
Theist - derived from the Greek word "Theos" meaning God.
Ergo, Non-Theist (Atheist) - meaning simply a person who denies, does NOT believe/ does NOT wish to believe NOR follow the teachings, etc, of ANY THEOS or belief in said Theos.
N.B. Before you bring in anything about the Nazis or Communist Russia, also remember that the upper Echelon of the Nazi Party WERE attempting to create a NEW Aryan Religion and Stalin was a devout Orthodox Russian Christian and was attempting to subvert the powers and holds that the Orthodox Church had over the people and make their belief system much freer and easier on them.

@Grahame Sorry if I use capitals to get my point across but I am not so computer/Internet savvy as are others, I grew in the ages of pen and paper, etc, so sue me if that be your ardent desire.
As to your comment re- firstly, Russian, Nth. Korean and Chinese Communism, as a Qualified Psychologist I offer up that those Ideologies merely REPLACED the concepts, etc, of a God/Gods, etc, with a NEWER version, that being in their cases, Lenin, Stalin, the Kim Dynasty and Chairman Mao, which, to a Psychologist like myself is patently obvious when one sits and thinks about it.
The Nazi Party of WWII Germany did almost exactly the same thing with Hitler, Goebbels and Himmler did they not?
Idi Amin did exactly the same as well by purporting himself to be the One, the Only and the True Leader and Saviour of his people did he not?
After all, any religion/religious belief is what the Originator designs it to be for his own ends and means and only those.
As for " my Ego," well in actual fact, I don't truly have in the concept to which Ego is often referred these days, in fact I simply see myself as yet another human being who seeks and strive to learn and keep on learning as free as possible from the restraints that society seems to want to place upon us, is that a bad thing?
As to my "rant" as you so kindly put it, well what my seem a 'rant' to some may not be a 'rant' to those who also seek to understand/ comprehend the opinions, etc, of others around them.

@Grahame Well believe it or not I am somewhat computer illiterate in quite a number of ways.
I still do things by the pen and paper method but am slowly learning to use my desk-top for things such as this site, etc.
Logically speaking, are NOT the Gods/Goddesses, etc, that humans have adored and worshipped merely made up entities at best?
There has never been brought forward any empirically tried and tested, proven proof nor evidence that such Entities ever truly existed, has there?
Oh, and forgive here, but I seek to correct you that the Nazis, via Himmler, sought very hard to CREATE their own new religion, the Aryan Religion and Belief with Hitler as the Fuhrer ( Leader) and the incarnation of the Aryan God/Deity, that is documented and historical fact I'm afraid to say.
Err excuse for being a little obtuse here, BUT " paid up member of what" are you claiming that I am?

@Grahame Funny that since I am a member of NO clubs what-so-ever and as for the sound of my own voice, well I prefer the silence of living alone and resisting even the tendency to talk even to myself.

@Grahame Oh, I have company, I have good friends who drop in for visits, coffee, etc, I chat with people I meet on the street, in shops, etc, not everyone needs to gregarious all the time.

Universally, nearly all belief systems cause people to want to get others to believe the same thing.

@mischl I think the same could be said for anyone that holds an opinion, i.e. they would prefer that everybody shared their opinion & agreed with them.