The nuts where I live

You can't throw a rock without hitting a church. I always listen very carefully to the pitch. I show interest. Then I ask the question. "Do the people at the other churches have a chance of going to heaven"

and the answer is always "No"

They say the same thing here.

Once it develops it's only interest is self-promotion and domination through threats of burning in hell for all eternity and the message that anyone who doesn't believe in the EXACT same way and belong to the EXACT same type of organization is a heathen, pagan, idolotrous bastard.

Notice how much I got out of Catechism? I hated the hate and scare tactics. And I didn't believe them either. And the same goes for all religions. One's relationship with God (or whomever or whatever) shouldn't include harming anyone, for any reason.

is a great sales pitch.

They are not the same thing.
Anyhoo, I really don't get christians. There founder was a jew! What, jesus didn't go to heaven? Does that make sense?

the life of Christ. In fact, Christ wouldn't want to associate with most of these people who are 'spreading his message'.

and that was my ticket out of Catholic school. My mother had been kicked out of a convent school at the age of 12 for rolling tin cans down the fire escape at 2 AM. The rebel gene came through intact.

All I got out of catechism was simplistic crap that I knew was BS even as a kid. The one good thing I got was the idea of "listening to that still, small voice within." That's been useful, and it's probably the teaching that causes most practicing Catholics to thumb their noses at the Pope on reproductive issues.

I've talked to Muslims on line thorughout the middle east, and they report the same sort of idiotic intolerance from sect to sect and from mosque to mosque.

A fundie is a fundie is a fundie. The only thing that can crack through the self righteousness, intolerance, narrowness, lack of humor, and sheer nastiness is when an overwhelming disaster forces them to reexamine their place as the pinnacle of creation.

The best thing the rest of us can do is rub their noses in their wrong thinking and walk away.

The whole big wide universe made by their god and they think only a few dozen souls will ever make it to their god's heaven. What a lonely place their heaven is.