fact: there are more muslims in indonesia than in the entire middle east combined

[burnunit]

onlinepastor just said (paraphrasing), 'that liberal idea of religion as a private thing kinda isn't working because there's all these people who feel so passionately about God and religion' and I think she's right. I've come to disdain the knee-jerk reaction that religion must be a private thing. Not because I'm an asshole (though I am a bit of an asshole) but because an automatic reaction that "religion is private. religion should be private." is, among other things, insufficiently responsive to reality and to a degree quite parochial. Yea, verily, parochial... naive, even! I don't intend to or even desire to defend the behavior of various proselytizers and their agents. Their record is well-established and hardly needs comment: triumphal extremism in the name of religion damages the fabric of human society.

It is remarkable to me that a significant body of liberals is so dogmatic on the point that religion is or must be a private matter. Belief may or may not be private, actually; but religion qua religion is almost certainly not. The sooner the sacred cow of private religion is sacrificed (presumably to Baal, or perhaps Shub-Niggurath. I guess.), the sooner peace might break out. I believe.

In any case, I find it plainly irresponsible that so many otherwise-open-minded liberals--and I count myself among you!-- make "shut up" the first and final word on religion.