Good Post FD

Now as we have already established that i am a pedant in another post i will now attempt to correct you were ever possible

But then I don't think you're really objecting to theists who don't proselytise either are you?
your right i am not !

First of all, I never said a 'better' perspective, I said broader
Fair enough but is broader always better ?

The very act of "making up one's mind" about anything must, by definition, involve closing that mind to some extent.
While this is true, this is something we do every day and is inherent in human behaviour. Also making you mind up does not have to mean that you are close minded.

If you test a theory and can prove the outcome, then it is not closing your mind to say the x = x and no x does not = y.

For Instance the theory of Gravity is a theory we can prove because we can observe its affects upon us and things around us.

For someone to then say that Gravity is a by product of human waste gases and if no one farted we would all float of into space, then my mind is fairly closed to this argument as i suspect so is yours.

But if miraculously someone was able to prove it to me then i personally would be happy to change my opinion and alter my thinking, surely this is an example of being open minded ?

What you find (rather unsurprisingly) with religion (and yes this is a rather large generalisation) is that in the face of all other evidence people who are religious will at times believe things that are completely incredulous and when faced with evidence will hide behind there belief.

I don't believe any war has truly been fought or persecution pursued because of religion
This may have to be one of those areas were we disagree, if you look back through history there have been religious crusades (and i don't just mean the Christian ones although they a rather good example) who's purpose was to retake the holy land and kill or convert the (mainly Muslim) enemy.

In this thread you yourself (and I think your arguments been very measured, well put together and innoffensive on the whole and I really wish you'd given me some better examples to quote) have compared God to Father Christmas and called Christians deluded.
Ah now that not strictly true, i did not compare God to Father Christmas, i compared the belief in God to the belief in Father Christmas which is slightly different

However i do understand your point but how on earth are you supposed to have an argument about something without at least annoying somebody !!!

but I do get atheists taking out banners on buses
Oh come on i have seen those banners, you have to be pretty uptight to be bothered by them, i see signs up everyday by a church i walk past which says "Jesus died for your sins" but i don't get offended. I am not offended by advertising

Quote:
I have no desire to convert anyone to atheism
Possibly not, but viewed from the outside that is how it appears I'm afraid.
Ah yes but you just judging from the contents of this thread, i can assure you in real life you wouldn't even know i was an athiest and i am about as militant about it as i am about cheese.

I'll do that when you can show me a war where the underlying cause is not either greed or desparation.
What about the war on Terror ?