Interfaith Group

But I do think that they believe that what we believers, even liberal believers, are doing is morally wrong. They often try to cloud this in a smokescreen by pretending that believers argue for governing on religious principals (which we rarely if ever do) and the like. But even when you strip away all the rationales for our beliefs, they still feel like we are immoral.

If you believe something to be self-evidently true (and they believe that the non-existence of God is self evidently true), and then you note that there are people who don't agree that that thing is self-evidently true, than you have a few ways to categorize those who don't believe the way you do.

1. Ignorance - they don't have the information see the truth.

2. Craziness or Stupidity - their brains don't process information correctly.

3. Corruption - they refuse to acknowledge the truth because they see some benefit from not accepting it.

Most believers who spend a lot of time in the religion forum dispel #1 pretty quickly, which leaves them declaring us deluded or corrupt. And I think that's why their arguments against believers take on such moral fervor; it's not just that we are wrong or deluded, it's that we choose to be deluded.

Of course there is a 4th option, and that is to open yourself up to the possibility that what is right for you might not be right for someone else and to respect a diversity of beliefs; but I don't think that option is available to the people we are talking about.

Bryant