Religion, redux.

I can't believe I'm already having to repeat myself here, but here goes:

Why is it that on a blog that considers itself progressive, we still feel perfectly justified in writing off a large number of people's beliefs as "stupid"?

And more to the point, what purpose on earth is served by having a 12-comment thread about how stupid those people are? I posted a link to an actual writer dealing with the war in Georgia--no comments. We get more mileage out of insulting people because they believe that maybe, even when the odds are stacked against them, prayer will help?

Have any of you ever watched someone in the prime of their life slowly die of colon cancer? And if you have, would you have told that person that they were "stupid" for going to church again, "stupid" for praying every morning and night that just maybe they'd get another day? That their daughter and husband were "stupid" for praying that just maybe they'd get to keep their mom, their wife around a bit longer? That maybe she'd recover, or just stop being in horrible pain?

If this is the kind of party we've got here, count me the hell out.