As I read this thread, it has become clear to me that this discussion is not about one's own beliefs and faith, but that of Religious Fundamentalist.
Fundamentalist regard themselves as the guardians of righteousness, as soldiers of the truth. Through out the history of man, these fundamentalist are the fuel that fired many of the crusades, wars, and atrocities of the past and present. And still today man bares the wounds and scars of these fundamentalist.
Fundamentalists are nothing new however, they are as old as religion it self. They can be abrasive, angry, mean, closed minded, judgmental and downright ignorant. But do not be confused, they are not true representatives of any of the faiths for which they claim to speak. I say that because every major religion has had its share. Fundamentalist Muslims have made many non-Muslims fear that religion, and yet the Muslim faith, at its core, remains a peace-loving faith. Fundamentalist Jews have made many non-Jews fear that religion, and yet the Jewish faith, at its core, remains a peace-loving faith. And Fundamentalist Christians have made many non-Christians fear that religion, and yet the Christian faith, at its core, remains a peace-loving faith. It's only when Fundamentalists are not keep in check and allowed to gain political power that their existence is a threat to mankind.
In just my life time, these people of "God" have caused most of the problems that the world is dealing with today. Lets take for instance, The Islamic Revolution that took over Iran in 1979, killing thousands of nonbelievers. This was lead by Muslim Fundamentalists (people of God). The bullets that killed Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were shot by Sikh Fundamentalists. The bullet that killed Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was shot by a Jewish Fundamentalist. The Crusades against the Moors, killing hundreds of thousands of "heretics" in the process, was mounted by Catholic Fundamentalists. Terrorism against American targets around the world is launched by Islamic Fundamentalists. Terrorism against the minority Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland is launched by British Protestant Fundamentalists. And now, in the United States, there is a growing fear of legislative and physical abuse against our human rights, led of course by Holier than thou American Fundamentalists.
The real issue with these people is not their specific faiths. It's their addiction to thinking they are right. It's an addiction to believing they have a cornered the market on truth. And anyone who dare think otherwise is just "dust in the wind" or something else as equally stupid. In other words, it's an addiction to a "made-truth," that is, to a belief that the truths they've created in their minds are indeed absolute truths and that everyone else must be made to believe the same or face the consequences.