"I was just suggesting that this remark could be viewed more benignly to say that many sincere Christians who understand the gospel message of love, leave the organized church because its activities and attitudes do not reflect the authentic Christian message."

Why would that man (or you) know better about why people left the church than those people themselves? Why must we presume those people are lying?

THIS is what I so detest about Christianity: The denial of fact and the pervasive magical thinking.

Dan Foster writes a thoughtful article based on actual facts, then (of course, if you ask me) a Christian has to jump up to say, no those facts are wrong. Let me tell YOU what's happening based on my religious ideas that trump facts -- on my insider God view of what must really be happening. Because facts don't matter.

I'm just sick of that sort of pervasive attitude coming from Christians, mostly because so many of them exercise political power in the U.S. -- which is frightening considering how detached they are from reality and facts.