[monx]

After reading this thread I am sure that nothing I say here will make you (ElProximo) change your stance on this matter however I would just like put my twopenneth in.

I dont believe Channel 4 are trying to damage the Chrisian faith by recruiting Dave for this show, I think they are looking for potential housemates with extreme personalities/views because they make BB "exciting". Personally I enjoyed the "social experiment" aspect but admit to being addicted to watching the "freak show" it has become.

When people are blaming religion for wars and you counter that argument with the assumption that it is land, you are right on one level but to be clear, most of the time it is to "cleanse" land from the oposing religious and cultural combatants. My case in point is Hitlers treatment of the Jews (not forgetting all the other victims of the "final solution") the war between serbia and croatia (christians vs muslim) and what is happening to Tibet at the moment is purely China's wish to eradicate Buddhism and vilify the Dalai Llama.

I am sure that even you cannot argue that the Spanish Inquisition was not a war waged on people due to their religious beliefs.

I dont say all war is based on religion but a great deal is and it is because of the way people are indoctinated from an early age to believe in a certain organised religion, which will have an oposition in any other religion or belief system. Anyone who is considered "other" is a target for hostility, despite most organised religions teaching love and respect for everyone (even if they dont prey to the same god as us) it very rarely happens in reality.

As for the celibacy debate, it was a pope in the 4th century who was worried that priests' families could possibly have a case for maintenance from the church, decided that from that date forward all priests would be celibate and used the fact that Christ was single (or so we are told) in order to validate that decision.