Many people are apprehensive of religion because they perceive (rightly so in many cases) religious people as being judgemental, intolerant and intellectually dishonest.

I don't think religion is about how fun you think the service is, or whether or not you like the pastor. That's immaterial. The man talking on the altar is just another human being who has hopefully really done his homework when it comes to relgion, ethics, etc. If he thinks himself to be more than that, he has delusions of grandeur.

This board is an interesting place, and really does a good job showing some of those negative aspects with folks. I for one am sometimes just as guilty as some others.. What I think religion boils down to is an argument of faith. No matter what, with religion, there is always something that is just simply because it is. Like when a kid asks you why something is, and the only answer you can come up with is...

"Just because".

That's religion.

When people can't see that about their own religion (I certainly recognize that about mine), then I think they are missing the big picture, and are making religion into something more than it is.

"Just because" is always the starting point.