Little Toe;
You may be right, in your summation of the book, however Lewis was atheistic when he became a Christian (became connected). Let's not let that point slide.
I covered that; he was enculturated in a Christian Society, and I specifically mentioned people of that group being especuially susceptable to the arguments therein.
My point, in bringing this to your attention, is that it highlights that there are highly respected mainstream Christians who have this tolerance. It's not just a JWD-Christian thing. It should hopefully give pause for thought, to those who have pigeon-holed all "born again"s as fundies.
Bugs the hell out of me when some Christians do the 'baby with the bath water' thing, or the 'atheists have no moral values' thing. I can understand if you are offended if you feel lumped in or deindivdualised.
Let me elucidate.
What I find objectionable is when people with no externalised proof tell me their god will kill or torture me. It really jades me. I'm funny like that.
I'm not saying that you said that, but I think you have to agree that IF someone believes in such a judgement of the good or bad by god, then they believe people such as myself will be killed or tortured by god. I don't particulary care which god they believe in either, I'd be in a Muslim's face to the same extent.
If one excludes behaviour (virtually) anyone would describe as evil such as murder, and takes it as read that I do the best I can and am a fairly nice chap most days, then (as god or the specifics of belief cannot be externally proved) it is the same as someone saying that I should be killed or tortured due to a difference of opinion. There are no facts or proof involved, it's assertions based on texts which cannot be proven to be god's word, and which in any case are open to interpretation. I don't care if they have an internal validation, it quite clearly doesn't make a difference to externally determinable facts.
Nazi party members by their membership subscribed to the opinion that the Jews should be killed, not because of any facts they could demonstrate or crimes individual Jews may have committed, but because that was the (sick evil twisted) opinion of their organisation. There were no facts or proof of guilt involved. Some may have felt, internally, that they were right, but it quite clearly doesn't make a difference to externally determinable facts. Most obviously did not take part, but if they knew of the policy, they gave their approval to it (albeit under duress in some instances) by remaining Nazi Party members.
How can a religious person be any different if they are members of a religion that subscribes to the opinion (as god or the specifics of belief cannot be externally proved) that people should be killed or tortured?
Killed or tortured not because of any facts they could demonstrate or crimes individual people may have committed, but because that is the opinion of their 'organisation' (belief structure)? The fact that they are under duress of the same punishment if they don't keep up their 'membership' (belief) is just about the only justification that can be given, and I don't think anyone will argue it's much of a justification.
Basically such a belief structure is immoral and repugnant. Religious people would be up in arms if atheists professed that religious people should be shot or set on fire because they are religious people, no matter how law abiding and good they might be.
Yet this is more or less what many FUNDAMANTAL religious people believe, except the killing and burning is done by proxy by their invisable friend... which somehow makes it okay!! NOT.
Is that clear enough? If you don't believe your invisable friend is going to roast or otherwise harm me on account of opinion, I don't give a monkies if you are born again or born once, Hare Krishna or hairy backed.
If you do believe that your invisable friend will do such things on the grounds of opinion, then that is what I call a fundamentalist.
Now, as we don't get many people from non-Christian cultures here, it is normally Christians who get the stick for this rather unpleasent belief structure only some fellow Christians hold. Born Again is equated to Fundamental (my definition) when not all Born Agains are Fundies.
In the interests of fair play I am very happy to play 'slap the fundy' with Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Seikhs, Buhddists who believe I should be killed or tortured on the grounds of their big fat dumb opinions, just like I do with Christians who hold such repugnant beliefs.