it seems that the mere mention of religion gets too many hackles up to stay civil, and that's not only sad but unnecessary, as without diversity-in-unity we fail against the wingnut idiocracy, every time.

Good point and pointed observation. I think it is to a large extent about identity (and as I have argued previously, a heavier part of identity then hobbies, but lighter then race or gender). And as identities are largely defined by their opposite (can't have left without right, can't have germans without the french) the self-identification as anything on the religious scale demands a definition of the other. And there is where it gets tricky, because one groups definition of the other rarely matches that groups definition of itself.

Me, I have grown up in a non-religious household in a pretty non-religious society. I was tought the christian myths, but there was no problem with me accepting them as just stories. School was sometimes in church (good place for singing), but it was like being in a museum or other odd, old place. I have never been forced into performing religious rituals, though I could if I wanted. I was however brought up in beliving that you don't mock the religious kids. (Because you don't mock the other kids. (Because mom said so.))

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