Ah, but how did they hear about it? I admit it's possible that they, you, and others found it another way(and some most assuredly did), but when I found the site it was because of the blasphemy challenge being mentioned in an editorial in the L.A. Times. Most people who have found the site recently did so because of the blasphemy challenge gaining such notoriety.

Actually I think all approaches to the situation are equally valid and necessary. There are a lot of atheists out there that argue against theism, and think the RRS and people like me take things too far. While I disagree with that notion, I don't disagree that they should keep doing things the way they are doing them. You supply the sugar and I'll supply the salt.

For the second: Those areas don't exist. In EVERY area with a highly religious population, government is impacted by the church. 

You're right.  CoE pretty much only exists because Henry VIII wanted to divorce his then wife and remarry and the Pope wouldn't sanction it.  Henry, not being one to turn down a golden opportunity, used this as a catalyst to break the Catholic church's hold on religion and to establish himself as the religious head of the country.  

The link was a little disturbing. How was the $40,000 going to be spent in that case? Considering the neighborhood, maybe the 40k was going to beautify their already overfluffed neighborhood. Maybe no harm was done on the account of a religion.

I should also point out that the vast majority of pastors, even in the US, are poorly paid.

Recently? Hm...Blue laws (prohibitions against selling goods and providing services on certain days, like Sundays, due to purely religious reasons. These obviously discriminate against those who don't follow these religions, yet want a beer on Sunday, and these laws also harm the economy). The prohibition of atheists serving jury duty, testifying in court, and holding an elected office in several states (all of those are laws that are in effect in 6 U.S. states, at least) Anti-homosexual legislation that prohibits gay couples adopting and marrying wouldn't exist if there was no religion, and that's undoubtedly negative discrimination. Intelligent Design is taught IN SCIENCE CLASSES in Kansas, because of religion, and that's not good because it suppresses actual science. Science classes all over the U.S.A. and Canada HAVE to mention the christian creation account when teaching evolution, by law, which again, suppresses real science. Religion was actually one of the justifiers for the Iraq war, and the war in Afghanistan, and war is not good. Religious figures in the U.S.A. are influencing elections through their influence, which undermines democracy, especially with such an obediant crowd (Pat Robertson, for example, said on more than one occasion that God wanted George W. Bush to be president, and if you don't think that influenced at least a few voters, you're  foolish). Anti-abortion legislation is being signed in various U.S. states, because of religious influence, and that leads to all sorts of negative things, such as inflated birth rates, extra strains on society, increased poverty rates, etc. Let's not even mention obvious theocracies like Bhutan and Iran and Saudi Arabia, and partial theocracies like Thailand, in which brutality and religious persecution run rampant.

Is that enough?

Oh boy, one of the pollitically correct never fart in public people.

It is not illegal to be nuts. You probibly think we are nuts, I could care less.

If religion were treated like the "invisable pink elephant" and not taken so seriously as to fuel politics and war, it would be harmless.

I'm not going to demand the arrest of a homeless person walking down the street claiming to be Napolean. But if for example I am Jewish, and a Nazi is making laws that prevent me from being treated humanly and equally, you are damnd right I'd call that a mind dissorder.

The problem with religion is that it is not happy with treating itself as a passtime. It would be no skin off my nose if my neighbor beleived that they were going to be magically plucked of the planet during the raptue. However, these people vote and sit in office and write laws that I am forced by goverment to obey.

If religous people knew how to seperate religion from politics I wouldnt be bothered by weither I thought they were nuts or not.

Would you think it is ok, if time after time,  you demonstrated that the earth rotated around the sun, the people around you not only scoffed, but condemned you and had you arrested?

I dont care if someone thinks I am nuts, I am sure many people might merely because I am an atheist. But the difference between an atheist and a theist is that we dont rely on ancient stories of Santa for adults.   We are not claiming that disimbodied super natural brains that live in the cosmos pull our strings.

I wouldnt care that people make these claims(any religion). But when you believe that is your right to promote naked assertions without backing them up or allowing them to be challenged, I call that a mind dissorder. Hitler demanded worship of the Nazi party, the 9/11 hijackers were sending the message, "Obey Allah or else"  

Religion is the worship of a person, nation, or cult of personality  or deity. Just because something "feels" good, doesnt make it so, and without being able to examine what makes us feel good to see if it actually is good, we are promoting mental illness.

centure7, I would suggest you read The End of Faith by Sam Harris.