Quote Originally Posted by coqauvin View Post
Aside from pointing out a history of racist bigotry that used religious beliefs and quotations to justify and absolve bigots from their crimes in the southern United States several decades ago, there is still the issue of Protestant vs. Catholic Christians in Ireland, and the violence that's done to them. Hell, I remember reading a newspaper story about a Catholic school being built in a Protestant neighbourhood, and kids were getting rocks thrown at them on their way to school.
This is all perfectly valid and a good example which I was anticipating being brought up at some point, I agree religion can be and often is used as a vehicle for violence, Christianity is no exception. However I would disagree with this..

Quote Originally Posted by coqauvin View Post
..oppressed people pour their anger, frustration and confusion at their surroundings into, and if it wasn't religion to do it, another vehicle would be found
You seem to be arguing that violence is inevitable and religion is simply a channel through which people vent. I would say that more often the violence is a direct cause of the individuals strong belief or emotional attachment to the religion, and yes if it wasn't religion it would be something else.. a political view, a country, a family. Not because it provides a convenient excuse for their actions but because it is important to them and will cause them to be driven to the extremes of human behaviour it its name.

Also, I'm not too sure about this..
Quote Originally Posted by coqauvin View Post
regardless of what's contained in their holy books.
..used in the context of the argument about whether the Quran is a book which encourages or justifies violence. As it does, and the Bible doesnt.