@FBM,
Neither am i. In the western so-called agnostic, there's a freudian slip which reveals much--they speak so frequently of the existence of god--singular. They betray the vestige of a monotheistic culture which they just can't let go.
When it comes ot the "sins" of orgaanized religion, though, i try to be honest. Very few wars ate truly and exclusively religious in character. For war to be sustained for any length of time, you need money, lots and lots of money; and you need a political motive, which is usually the acquisition of power. Pope Innocent III could not get a war against the co-called Cathars going until he came up with the brilliant idea of declaring the estates of "heretical" lords to be forfeit to the Church, and offered those estaes to those who would take the cross in what became known as the Albigensian Crusade. A few great lords in northern France and a great many down-at-the-heels small time aristocrats rushed to sign up on those terms. Similarly, Cardinal Richelieu who effectively ruled France at the time, after the death of Gustav II Adolph of Sweden (Gustavus Adolphus) paid huge subsidies to Protestant Sweden to fight the Imperialist, of Catholic Austria, because he was more interested in the balance of power in Germany than he was in the number of Protestants living there.
Credit where it is due, too. In both Christianity and Islam, there is a strong charitable ethos within their communities. The most effective NGOs in social welfare in the United States are Caholic Social Services and Lutheran Social Services. They often do a good deal more for those in need than government does, especially for families and single mothers.
