If the people in your scenarios above were following the one they claim to be following, then most of those problems would not be worth a mention, at least in terms of coming from faith.
Yet they would say the same thing about you. As I said, I really don't mind when people believe, and I don't disrespect them. I am just so TIRED of the fundamentalists that have so much political power. Many Christians are tired of them too. They are tired of being misrepresented, and they are tired of catching the darts that are really meant for the Bachmanns of the world. I can understand that. Groups are always defined by their most vocal, powerful elements.
NC