fatherphil

biff, the civil authorities used religion to achieve there own goals.

Starboy

So what. It couldn't have happened unless the religious leaders condoned it.

fatherphil

study english history to see just how much power the church really had in the face of a strong state.

Viti

My favorite rhetort when some Christian goes on about the necessity of the crucifixion and resurrection and blah blah we're all sinners blah blah saved blah is "All that over a fruit tree dispute?"...I wish I could credit my source but I cannot remember where I saw it.

GeoTheo

Freedom of religion is a protestant concept. I think many atheists here owe a debt of gratitude to the Reformation and also people like Roger Williams. Roman Catholocism was for a very long time a theocracy with a marrige of Church and State Power similar to what is seen in Islamic states today. Christians that value religious freedom such as my self, feel that becoming a Christian must be of a free choice and not of co-ercion. I'm not saying that All Christian sects that came out of the reformation were always consistent with this, but They did believe in the principle.
Like many ideas it evolved over time and was applied more consistently.
Baptists are usually associated with Christian Fundamentalism which in turn is often mis identified as being aligned to Christian Reconstructionism. Some are. But If you read Baptist History they really came to value what they called "Individual Soul Liberty" and this is still incorporated into most Baptist doctrinal statements as a distinctive of the Baptist Church. Another doctine is Separation of Church and State.
Individual soul liberty means each person must decide for themselves what to believe and seperation of Church and State is self explanitory. These principles applied consistently, will prevent any kind of religious persecution.

Biff the unclean

study english history to see just how much power the church really had in the face of a strong state

Oh good grief, could you possibly become any more disingenuous?
You said that you thought that Christians have felt Atheists are attacking them merely by being Atheists because of those obnoxious Jesus fish on people's cars. I'm pointing out that Christians have felt like that since there were Christians.
Atheists don't give a rats arse if they are being executed by the College of Cardinals or some freelance nondenominational civil servant of a Christian. It's not their job title we object to.

Biff the unclean

Geo Theo do you make this "history" up as you go along or does some youth councilor tell it to you?

The separation of church and state in this country is a reaction to the horrible abuses of both church and state in Great Britain. The founders who insisted on this separation were Deists and not Christians. The Baptist church did not support this separation but lobbied long and hard against it. They still try to undermine it at every opportunity.

And since you open with a tirade against the Catholics you are ill equipped to claim your ideals were the ones that prevent any kind of religious persecution.

fatherphil

biff, it does not look like we are communicating very well, so maybe another time, another topic.

Biff the unclean

Here and now is fine with me. Do you think that Atheists are attacking you personally because they disagree with you?

Viti

There are many Christians who cry "Persecution...Jesus said we would be persecuted" if you look at them cross eyed. They WANT to feel attacked and persecuted for some reason.