Christianity. In the context of whether belief is actually necessary. Or not.

I don't think tolerating everything that is done in the name of religion has ever been a good idea. Tolerating religion doesn't mean that to me. It means accepting that people have different beliefs, not that anyone else has to suffer impositions of those beliefs (such as prayers in council meetings). People without religious faith are bound to have an interest in, and to say so, when the consequences of other people's faith affect them too. There are fewer effects now than in, say, medieval times, but still more than many of us are comfortable with.

It is interesting as history, too, to see the effects of religion(s) on people, and the influence of various doctrines on the laws of different cultures and countries. Why is anyone surprised that non-believers sometimes know more about a faith than those who are part of it? Knowledge and believing are not the same thing.

Some believers don't actually want to have much knowledge, just as some people who are ill do not want to know too much about the details of their disease - they hand it over to their doctor to cure them, and the more confidence they have in the doctor, the more likely they are to recover (though not from everything).

I do not think that feetle's statement that "faith is the abdication of reason" is dismissive. Having faith is not about reason - it is about faith, which by definition is "strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof." (Oxford dictionary).

Spiritual conviction and reason are different things. They both have their place and neither should be dismissed lightly.

Many people do not have that spiritual conviction and find it hard to imagine where that comes from; those who have it find it hard, in the main, to convey to others where it comes from.

Would that spiritual conviction were universal - we would all be safer and happier.

That is the beauty of reason - proven facts are proven facts and cannot be argued over. The astronauts on the space station from different parts of the world co-operating to ensure the safety of all when an emergency occurred is a good example of the unifying force of reason. I find that beautiful too, as those with religious convictions find their faith so.

It would be interesting to know how many people 50+ who are religious, are still faithful to the religion they grew up in/with- or have changed?

Looking around me, both in UK, France and here- I know very few people who have changed- as their religion is so closely linked with social and cultural elements.

My DH's grandfather was one of the first to convert to Islam- from a very old British family steeped in the Anglican Church from a rural area. As an artist in London in the 1850s- he became fascinated first by Islamic art and architecture in Andalucia (Seville and Grenada) and then Islamic culture. He emigrated to study and follow his new Faith- to Egypt and then SA.

He sounds an interesting chap!

He chose to live as a Muslim as a Cape Malay all his life- but his son emigrated to the UK at the time of Apartheid. We have a very interesting book about his life and many of his paintings are kept at Wittwaterstrand Uni. Initially he was in charge of sets and artistic works for Drury Lane Theatre- at the time of Lilly Langtry, Oscar Wilde and more.

Mild agnosticism kinda goes with the territory in some parts of the Church of England.
No bad thing either.
Those religious sorts who claim to have all the 'right' answers can be a bit much.
There's very little fun in fundamentalism.

"Mild agnosticism" indeed. Most thinking Christians, including clergy, regard themselves as not knowing any certainties and on a journey of looking for some sort of truth - a healthier position than fundamentalism and categorical beliefs.

Mishap - that's my position too.
And that's why I won't enter into any discussions about whether God exists or not, because it can't be proved one way or another.
All we can do is try to lead a decent life according to the code of behaviour that each person believes is right.