Do you realise that people fighting over beliefs is not in the best interest of humanity?
536392
Very well put.  Thank you.\n\nHumbly do I implore You, keep me in Your divine grace, and deprive me not of peace. Save me from sudden misfortunes; deliver me and sustain me. May I never displease You, my Lord.\n\n-From the prayer book "Al-Hizbul-A'zam"\n\nAttentiveness is the path to true life;\nIndifference is the path to death.\nThe attentive do not die;\nThe indifferent are as if they are dead already.\n\n-Dhammapada\n\n As long as the soul is within me, I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, my God and God of my fathers.\n\n- Talmud: Berakot 60b \n\nNot everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. \n-Matthew 7:21
260954
Most people seem to take it personally when a conflicting viewpoint is brought up.  It can be so frustrating when people are blatantly disregarding viewpoints.  I have trouble when I am trying to have a rational discussion with someone and they are obviously not looking at the merits of my own argument and just see it as an attack on themselves.    What are you supposed to do when someone is being completely closed minded and willfully ignorant?  It's difficult.\n\nThere is no more rational discourse or comprimise, only two sides of which you need to pick one.  People aren't even expected to be able to back up their own beliefs as much as attack others' beliefs blindly.  I feel your pain, and hopefully there will be a time when this can change.
638134
Its' just that not everyone realizes it. Even if you want peace, the other person may not have the intelligence/ understanding... and when someone bad is out to destroy you... for the sake of mankind and good one has to fight.
789886
I'm not concerned about their beliefs so much as what they actually do.  I've come to this conclusion because there seems to be a rather large discrepancy between what they say they believe and what they actually do.
894909
Disagreement in and of itself is NOT the problem.\n\nIt is how we deal with the disagreement.  Do we respect each other's opinions?  Or do we just claim that people who disagree with our way our going to Hell?\n\nDo we let the disagreements get in the way of the practice of love and making the world a better place and especially helping the poor people?\n\nThe choice is ours.  We make it every day.
802578
A lot of people get touchy when they are trying to show you their truth and you make a valid or logical point that doesn't fall in line with their beliefs. They are too stubborn or too afraid to admit there may be other possibilities because they have been conditioned to believe that you are damned to hell if you question any part of their particular religious doctrine. Therefore, if you don't take their word for it even if they can't show or prove they are right, the only way they can fight you is to shut you up or get rid of you so you would have less chances to influence anyone else to question what they deem to be the ultimate truth.
5897
yes we humans are designed to be territorial and against the ones that are not our own. We can evite other conflicts by making sure everybody feels part of the human family.
942651
Psychologically speaking, I believe it is called mirroring or projecting ones view of what someone believes it is onto another. \nIt seems to me, looking at some of the responses here that most people in our country don't disagree on a lot of things. Stem cell research, abortion, global warming etc. I think maybe if we can manage to get the squeaky wheels to a livable decibel level we may be able to get some action on a lot of issues. Both sides are overly emotional about what they believe.
633477
It is for all beliefs, but it would be nice if some people here were a little more respectful to others' beliefs instead of insulting the belief or the person.
516972
If I am not mistaken, I don't think this was a generalization made that all non-beilievers are mean spirited and cruel.  (At least I hope not)  I think that each religion gets misunderstood at one time by those not of that religion, and some people just don't know how to address what they don't understand. There are those that do.  They respect the fact that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs.  I am a Christian, I believe, but i do not force my beliefs on anyone. i may share something about God, but I cannot judge anyone if they do not believe--and I don't think we should judge and ridicule each other.
676138
When a human being wholehartedly believes in what he/she thinks is the truth, automatically tends to believe that the truth he/she found is THE TRUTH, and that everything else is false. Why? Because humans don´t like to make high stakes on something that may not be real. So, if they did make high stakes, the desperately NEED their beliefs to be TRUE, what immediately means that the others´ are not. \nSo they argue, they fight and they even would kill (take a look at history) in the name of their God.\n\nI´m an atheist, but I don´t want to convert everyone. To each his/her own! Even religious people accept that "the paths to God are diverse".\n\nTolerance should be the natural outcome of a little humbleness... which humans tend to lack.
1030449
Noone fights for God. People fight for themselves and their own selfish  desires. To claim any act of violence in the name of God...ANY GOD, is a load of crap.
179427
Yes. People can be so inconsiderate, they don't care about other people's feelings.
9287
We do not all claim faith.
1169348
I'm pretty sure the capacity for starting fights is equally shared among all belief systems.  Certainly Yahoo Answers creates a forum for moronic, facile attacks on the belief systems of others, whether one is atheist, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Wiccan, Baha'i, Yezidi, Hindu, Jain, you name it.  Maybe what you mean is that your attention is drawn to atheist expressions of hostility to the beliefs of others.  Your own question does smach of anti-Catholic prejudice, for example, so perhaps anti-Catholic statements made by others don't offend you.  In all fairness, it is hard to explain the contemporary situation in the world of mutual hostility between, say, Jews, Christians, and Muslims by blaming the atheists, right?  I mean, the atheists didn't start the Iraq war and aren't playing a major role in perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.  I think you are right to advocate for a more civil dialogue (you can begin by examining your anti-Catholic and anti-Atheist prejudices, perhaps)--considered starting with the man or woman in the mirror?
1012613
Personally I think that is becuase people don't truely understand tolerance or if they do, they are not willing to take tolerance to it's logical conculsion. For if they were really tolerant it means they will have to put the needs/desires/wants of other before thier own needs/desires/wants. And while we would all agree that sounds nice and should be the norm. Not many people are will to truely do so.\n\nAs for war, if it wasn't religion inciting war, man will find something else to fight about. It all boils down to simple selfishiness on the part of humanity.
348090
Many religions, while on one hand speaking about peace and love, on the other hand often speak very poorly about non believers.\n\nFor example, in the Christian bible, Psalms chap 14 says atheists are foolish and no good.  Somewhere else it says witches and wizards should be killed.  In the New Testament it says the only way is through the lord.\n\nWhen you believe god is on your side saying you are right and the entire basis of human morality is your religion, how do you respect other beliefs?