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Originally Posted by Malk-a-mite
Two things - one separate your belief in god from your religion. Your faith is your belief in god. Your religion is the man made institution on earth. Two very different things.
Second, is it possible to attack ones religious institution without it being an attack on ones beliefs? Is it possible that the religion of man has made mistakes in trying to understand god's will?
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This is where the line between devout believers and everyone else tends to be drawn. I understand that a lot of people don't believe in revelation or prophesy anymore and laugh the idea off as theocracy. Well, that's their prerogotive. But you'll find that a lot of people believe their earthly religion is ordained by God and don't make the distinction between the two.
It it certainly possible for people to mistake God's will, and I would venture to say that the better part of history has shown this to be true. People misinterpret their scriptures to mean that they should fight their neighbors, and often they do so on purpose. But when you attack a man's religion he's likely to take it personally even if he's just an innocent believer.
While you can't legislate religious tollerance, you can make hateful acts illegal and punish the people who commit them without indicting their beliefs. When you punish a man for his beliefs you make him a martyr. So people must be judged by their actions and not their beliefs or else we risk turning otherwise peaceful people into violent enemies.