hey there,

great site, it's always nice to see another inteligent athiest out in the wolds of the internet, we're officially the most despised and hated people in america (more then any religion, race, ethnicity, or other identity label. [URL]) so we've gotta stick to together...

One thing I noticed though was a comment you made in one of your replies about Mormons which I've got to disagree with. you said

"I also note that in religions where morality is more actively taught (such as Mormonism), there is more morality and less self-righteousness."

As someone who was raised mormon I've got to say that this is most definitely not the case. Mormon communities are extremely tight-knit and mostsocial transactions involve the church on some level. Virtually everyone I know that has been a member in the past and is no longer in the church experienced extreme ostracization and hostility when they left. It's particularly bad for young people who've grown up in the church and decide to leave, that decision can be met with anything from forced "counseling" with church authorities to physical violence to being thrown out on the street by parents. Lots of no fun. And of course weddings, funerals, etc are all intensely religious experiences for mormons so if you're not a member you won't be invited to the wedding and you'd better come prepared for a serious sermon at a funeral. Mormons take self-righteousness to heights I've never encountered in people of any other creed, they just don't usually do it to non-members in places
where they are not the majority.

And, of course, there is the little fact that the religion is explicitly white supremecist, though they don't publicize that bit as much as they used too. I've written quite a bit about that particular topic on my [URLs]. Truly nasty stuff. I'd be hard pressed to think of a more self-righteous religious doctrine then the believe non-white skin is a curse bestowed by the creator of the universe.

anyway, that's about it for me, just wanted to disabuse you of any illusions you might have had about mormons being more moral or less self-righteous. any statement about a group is fallacious when applied to individuals, of course - there are always exceptions to every generalization - but as a whole I've found mormons to be some of the worst of the worst among rabidly intolerant theists. They just don't appear as bad from the outside because (outside of Utah) they're a minority and not in a position to impose their beliefs the way certain other christian sects are.

I was basing my statement about Mormons on personal experience (my spouse used to be Mormon) and am sorry to say that it appears I was incorrect. It still appears to me that many Mormons behave within the limits of the morality they are taught more so than do people who are not actively taught morality, but you have certainly caused me to question the value of Mormon morality in the first place.