> What about the need for a creator to explain how things were created?
> Note that I believe in both evolution and the Big Bang theory.

We evolved Davin, just like the dinosaurs and every other living thing
on the planet.

> What about the separation of Church and State?  Doesn't this
> keep religion out of politics?

This is only a recent phenomenon. You'd be surprised how much church
and state are intertwined. Look at that protest by atheists in Italy
that was banned by the state because the state was afraid of upsetting
people, i.e. the were worried about loosing votes if they allowed it.

> The "rules" that you speak of are both logical and reasonable.  Love
> thy neighbour as thy self, for example.

Sure they are earthly rules for keeping peace and harmony as the
rulers of the country would wish.

> That is true of some religions yes, but other religious people
> campaign against injustice in the world.  Take the rap group Public
> Enemy for example.  In their lyrics they talk about many of the
> injustices facing black people.

I'm talking mostly in a historical sense. Religion is a form of
oppression and to use a stronger term, brain washing.

> Churches get their money from their parishioners.  They don't *need*
> anybody to go to church, all they need is money to finance themselves.
> Churches do a lot of good work in the world.  Even you can't deny
> that.

Yes Churches do a lot of good. Again it is earthly work to keep peace
and harmony.

> So what?  What a person like Bush says has no bearing on whether or
> not God exists.

Davin, there is a long line of people who have claimed God talks to
them, from all the prophets including Jesus, also Hitler and right up
to G.W. Bush. The whole lot of them could be said to have suffered
from some form of mental illness. (hearing voices inside their heads)

Often major atrocities are carried out in the name of God in times of
war. Isn't it funny how each side in warfare claims to have God on
their side and that the other side is wrong. Look at European
History. We see the same thing now with Islam, Judaism and Christian,
all born from the same roots incidentally, just differing beliefs on
interpretation. Look at the amount of trouble in the world because of
that little thing.