There's no argument then. You say people only kill in the name of belief systems. I say I agree. All I've said is that we will find a reason to fight whether it be gods, gold, or girls. That's not an opinion. History is proof of this time and time again. I will say hiding behind non belief does not keep a person blameless. How does the song go? "If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice."

I'll throw one out and see what you think. I'm going to say with nothing factual to back it up, that atheists have killed in the name of God when it suited their interests in the past as well as today. As a matter of fact, no faithful Christian would kill in God's name unless it was the final option and would preserve more life than it would destroy.

I'm going to throw another one out there that I can back up. The crusades were not about religion. They were about power and possession. The crusades led by the knights anointed by the pope were a response to a century or more of Muslim aggression that split the know world in two. I don't believe for one second that the aggressors did it for the glory of Allah. Just like every other conquest it was about the spoils in the end. The crusades that were sanctioned by the Church were the final option after every other avenue have failed. Some men behaved badly as men will in times of uncertainty and fear.

The inquisitions are another often quoted, rarely understood period in Catholic history. They were meant to stop heretical teaching, that leads to division, that leads to fighting, that leads to killing. Notice I never said they were meant to convert anyone or force Church beliefs onto anyone. Only to stop the teaching of anti-Christian doctrines diguised as actual Church doctrine. The Church's mission is to preserve doctrinal unity and protect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. It has succeeded in it's mission against all odds at 100% success. Were the tactics questionable? Sometimes yes. Yet in the context of the times, the worst of interrogation methods used by the Church were like a gentle tickle compared to what governments would do if you were caught teaching ideals that contradicted the king!

Yeah. People will always find a way to be horrible. The Church is wrongly accused of contributing substantially to this. Actual historical facts show the polar opposite. Believe or not. At least have a proper understanding before jumping to conclusions. Not you personally, but anybody tempted to jump on the band wagon when the headlines totally affirm everything you believe and hold true. Check your sources before proclaiming the clear truth provided around the clock by your friends at www.yournewsnow.gov.