Originally Posted by
Alpha
If you believe the universe is best understood in rational terms, then do you accept that people make the best (i.e. the rational) choices for themselves? I assume that you do, given that you also vote conservative. No judgement on either point, but the key tenets of your political and (non-)religious perspectives from my observation are that there is a rational, material universe that follows known laws, and that individual people are rational agents best left to their own devices who should be able to make choices left unfettered by government influence to the greatest extent reasonable.
Ergo, given you live in a country with freedom of religion and of association, people are still making the best (rational) decisions for themselves. You may find someone's god/s hard to believe in, but surely you accept that them choosing to believe in it gives them a better life than otherwise. For if it didn't, surely they would already have rejected it?
Burn fire, burn...
Also, on your point about God and religion... the official position of the Catholic Church is that evolution 99.9% as you understand it is an uncontroversial fact.
EDIT: My point here is not to start this... debate... here. Or even to take a position in it. On the contrary, I'm trying to point out why no one should care. These are personal decisions best left to individuals to determine for themselves what they want to believe in. I think individuals make good decisions; I'm no longer willing to criticise either 'side'.