I think that faith is one of the most beautiful things that humanity has. The ability to believe in something beyond your comprehension and to not question it is remarkable. Yet, it can be disturbing in some instances. On a basic level, I think I understand where Erik is coming from.

Assume that you stumbled upon something that you held as an absolute truth. Let's assume for the sake of secularism that it was something related to science. Perhaps you discovered something wrong with a fundamental equation in physics or chemistry, and you thought the world needed to know. You wouldn't buckle. You may be open to questions and discussion, but the likelihood of someone completely forsaking their idea is unlikely. This is similar to what Erik is doing.

There's nothing wrong with what he does and says. His beliefs might be different from yours, and you may find them to be offensive. You should get over it. If his beliefs are such a bother to you, then don't read what he writes, and certainly don't get into an argument with him about it. His thoughts are his own. You will likely not change anything, and you will have wasted a significant amount of time trying. Time that could be better spent learning to crochet, or skydiving.

Those of you reading this are privileged to be living in a society where divergent beliefs are even acceptable. There are still places where, if you choose to believe something different from the norm, you would be killed. All Erik is doing is expressing his beliefs on a public forum. Some of you may agree and some may not. I don't agree with what he says most of the time. I do, however, believe that the idea of removing him from the forums because he hurt your feelings is appalling and childish.

If you wish to place blinders on yourself and live in a fantasy where everyone agrees and no one gets offended, then by all means do so. But refusing to accept the realities of the world is foolish. Erik is not hurting anyone. I don't believe I've ever seen him write that everyone should believe what he does. He simply thinks that he's on the right track, that what he believes is the truth. Anyone in that position would seem stubborn and offensive. But that's okay.

Point is, I'll respect your beliefs, but not your intolerance.