Wulfie's Wurld

One of the problems about religion is that it causes some people (not all) to view the world in very absolute and narrow-minded ways.

All of the examples you cited describe people who see the world in an "Us vs. Them" frame.

As far as an "acceptable dark side" goes, I think it stops being acceptable once you start believing that those not of similar faiths are evil...
 

While I tend to agree with that analysis, I also recognize that we are both non-religious. I was hoping one of the lurking theists would come out of the shadows and offer something from their point of view.

The "Us agin Them" is quite common in more primative, more regimented, less educated societies, but then, race doesn't often enter into the equation. They'll fight and kill each other just because they aren't of the same tribe.

With education, however, it seems that racism is abandoned by the non-believers, yet still held firmly (though hopefully, less firmly than before) by those exercise religiosity.
 

I wouldn't say I'm non-religious, but I am more willing to turn a critical eye on the subject.

That critical eye has caused a few of my conservative readers to accuse me of being "anti-religion"...

Oddly enough, those same people have also accused me of being "anti-American" for being critical of George Bush.

"Us vs. Them" indeed...
 

Before we paint with too broad a brush, I recall virulent anti-semitic views held by many amoung the upper crust in the northeast.
This group wasn't fundementally religous.