On our assignments about creation vs evolution.

I am homeschooled. My Science textbooks are creation textbooks. My friends mom's talk about Liberal's as if they are talking about drug dealers. In fact, they promptly associate the two. I'm sure it's on the scale for them
First support Obama, then you're getting tatoos and having sex.
So I'm not going to lie, when I read part of the God Dellusion and listened to the excerpt from Letter to a Christian Nation, I was sort of.. excited.
These people seem intelligent, rational.
Do I agree with them? no. But I like listening.
I liked the fact that the thing they both seemed to be concerned with is real faith. I think they are right in saying that real belief is a touchy subject, it's one that gets precidence over other issues, and it's one that costs something. It IS bloody.
Because belief in God is a personal thing, but i think it should be talked about. As a Christian, I believe my faith is true, and can stand the test of open debate, i believe it is strong enough to endure the hard questions like stem cell research and abortion.
These people seem very VERY sure that they are right, but then again, so am I. I hope that they're the kind of people one could talk to and feel listened to. Because I do think if faith could be talked about rationally to them, much of the blame on religion would be dispelled.
These excerpts also gave me a greater respect for Tim Keller's Reason for God. I hope that both the authur of Letter to a Christian Nation and the God Dellusion will read Reason for God. And if they didn't agree, I hope they would at least respect the careful documentation and evidence presented.
In other words, I enjoy conversations like this where there is no shouting or name calling, i have more hope that the truth can eventually be spoken.