You said: 'fanatical people can use religion to control the masses...' You betcha! I wonder, though, too: if there were no religions/beliefs in anything redeeming, do you suppose life would be better or worse? I quite agree, too many use a few words as excuses to bully others. My sick stepbrother had religious delusions and wound up killing my dad, his mom and then himself with many stabbings. I do still believe in the same God he claimed to believe in; the circumstance was just one of those things, to me.

you wrote: 'I'd love there to be an afterlife but you can never know'. Perhaps we cannot. But only while we suck air do we have the opportunity to decide if we're willing to bet our souls on it.When I consider we put aside money for taxes for when it is requested, I think my eternity is worth even more attention in the deciding. but that's me.

you wrote:'If there is a god he would not approve of Spanish inquisitions, or other religous persecutions...' YOU'RE SO RIGHT. And it even says in the Bible "DON'T PERSECUTE PEOPLE or cause stumbling blocks to their having their OWN relationship with Me". The early church got away with it cuz folks couldn't read and books were hand-copied/not enough to go around (they didn't have libraries like we do). That's why when the printing press came out and folks COULD read for themselves they got irate enough to PROTEST. I think you know the rest.Why some people ignore the parts that say test words for truth, there are gonna be a lot of jokers so watch out, i don't know. (and yes, i'm paraphrasing the essentials cuz it's easier to read that way instead of a lot of thees and thous, in my humble opinion again).

Sorry this is so long...thanks for your time.GwynJ

If people practice religion on a purely spiritual level not a political one then it is alright