Quote from Gordon Gekko:
the biggest reason i do this is not because i think religion is a bunch of bs. the biggest reason is THE EFFECTS OF PEOPLE HAVING THESE BELIEFS. they vote in things, elect people, etc. and then their beliefs are forced on others, including nonbelievers like myself.
Just because confusion exists, some people believe that truth is absent.
The "effects of people having these beliefs" statement is a bit self-defeating, at least in regards to christianity. According to its founder, his followers were to be known by their "effects;" which means that those who have negative effects aren't true followers of this fellow. (1Jo 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.) So, it doesn't sound like you are criticizing christians, although some of these people may be identified as such.
I don't argue for religion, but I would argue for christianity, on the basis of a reasonable deduction.
We know historically that at least 500 people died at the hands of Nero because they claimed to follow this same fellow. As a matter of fact, not only did they claim to follow him, they vigorously refused, at the cost of all else they held dear, to deny him.
These same people were contemporaneous to this fellow; they lived at the same time and walked the same streets. They had heard him say that he was God and to prove it he would rise from the dead. ( Mat 27:63 and said, "Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I am to rise again.')
They also knew that either he did rise from the dead or he remained in his tomb.
Based on what they knew, they willingly died.
How is that different from any fundamentalist who dies for what she believes?
Here it is:
Many people will die for what they believe to be true, BUT
*** how many people will die for what they KNOW to be false?***
If you can come up with an explanation that is MORE believable than what I've deduced here, I'd be interested.