James, I'd also like to take issue with the fact of the Bible being true. This isn't just taken from inconsistencies in it (although that is obviously something we need to consider). You seem sure that the Bible writers were telling the truth. I agree that there is no reason to suppose that they were deliberately lying, or mad, but this doesn't mean that the Bible has to be taken word for word. Most of the Bible was written (or at the very least complied) hundreds of years after Jesus's crucifixion. During several centuries, fiction can turn to fact and stories can get distorted and exaggerated. I think most people would accept that there is some truth to elements of the Bible. Indeed, that seems hard to refute. However, this doesn't have to lead us to God's existence. Although the Bible claims Jesus as the son of God who performed miracles, how are we, 2000 years later, able to say that he wasn't just someone extremely charistmatic and clever, who either made these myths up about himself, or had them made up for him after his death?

I also take issue with the entire faith vs. logic argument. I don't like to think of myself as someone who needs everything proved by logic. In fact I believe in a lot of things that cannot be proven. But this doesn't mean I have to have faith. Furthermore, as a Philosopher, I have studied many people who held their views on God and Religion entirely on the basis of what they thought were logic, A+B+C=D style arguments.

Also, going back to the top, #3, I entirely agree with your view that if there is a God, then he wouldn't care about the intracacies of religion, but I think that is discounting how important these things are to some people. OK, I agree, not important enough to kill thousands of people over, but thats only looking at the extreme cases. There are many, many more where being part of an organised, loving religion, has made people feel accepted, when they otherwise might have had nowhere to go. It also teaches many brilliant qualities and attributes to so many people, that I don't think it's fair to dismiss organsised religion on the basis of a few extremists.

I realise this probably sounds contradictory, but hey, I'm an agnostic and a Philosopher...I'm here to play devils advocate!