let's not get religion confused with fundamental christianity...religion has been around since man first took refuge in the caves, hit a few stagalites giving an eerie echo to the darkest depths of the cave and inspired the development of ideas and fears into tangible ochre shapes and designs rubbed into walls...

using this basis for religion, the first wars were not over religion, but for the survival of early nomadic tribes establishing themselves on land that appealed to other nomadic tribes.

there are so many religions in the world to associate them all with hard core christianity is not entirely fair to those who choose to demonstrate the best virtues of religion.

some eastern religions have little to no belief in gods at all, choosing to harm nothing, and live their life in pursuit of that belief...

there's wicca that's become an established religion, ascribing to many gods and opening the pathway for others to grow and spread their own beliefs, growing tired of dogma, but taking the core beliefs and developing another form of belief, and some of those have developed into their own religion, again leaving those who believe in the core lessons and develop their own beliefs, which may or may not result in a religion depending on how received and established it becomes.

not all religions are war like or use their dogma to support missionary work. some choose to demonstrate the faith in their relgion through gestures of goodwill and generosity to the less fortunate...karma is a good example of this belief, and those who ascribe to an eastern based religion are often times going above and beyond goodness to assure their karma and placement in the afterlife are as positive as they are in their life.

there's a fine line between spiritual belief and religion...and both can be used to destroy another belief, if so desired. i myself have been involved in stimulating arguements based on esoterical belief, no religion involved...but just as destructively fundamental as the more negative focuses of an established religion.

religion is based on established beliefs, passed on from generation to generation, each adding their own twist to it, but if it was so..destructively rigid, there'd be no alllowances of other denominations, no free will to choose to worship or not.

It's not easy for all people to look into the night sky and say i believe, some people need a hand to hold and help them see there's something to believe, and religion offers that, a refuge for those incapable of discovering their own beliefs.

everyone needs to believe in something, spiritual or not...

not everything about organized religion is negative, it can unite people under a common goal, it can inspire people to do good...the christian god wasn't always peaceful...that came with the new testament, in the old testament, he'd give Bush a run for his money in the awe and fear technique when dealing with those who chose to not believe as his followers decreed they should, and created that religion based on their perceptions of what is right and what is not...by standards set forth by the example of one man who may or may not have existed, and the visions of simple men.

it is true, some horrible things have been done, and still are in the name of a passive god by fundamental zealots, but is it really religion to blame, or those who subscribe to the hellfire and brimstone approach to life, with an inability to accept people are different and use established dogma and beliefs against those who choose to live differently from their established beliefs.

some of the most stimulating discussions i've had were with those who had a specific religion versus my beliefs that can be associated with alternate religions, but are not based on any specific dogma, and some of the most frustrating and narrow minded arguements were with those who subscribed to no religion in particular and had no belief in anything spiritual, arguing the mudane as reality and everything else...false.

for every person who's demonstrated the worst aspects of religion, i've met a person who've taught me that even without a religion, those who believe can be as...fundamental and closed minded about other beliefs as those who condemn me for believing.

religion is just a word without a person to believe in it...and it's how that person chooses to live that sets forth the example for other perceptions, it's not the established belief that's been passed on for generations that make it hateful and destructive or peaceful and inspiring.

but the person who believes.