There's a "No true Scotsman" fallacy here, maybe. All religions are a potential tool for ignorance, hatred and violence-- even Buddhism.
I think if I could choose my favorite sects of each religion, I'd find small pockets of sanity and a real sense of responsibility to the Earth and to fellow man, and I'd say that to the degree those values stem from people's religious beliefs, the religions are good. If I could find a Christian who said, "Because we are all God's people, I will extend goodwill to every person. Because the Earth is a gift from God, I will work to protect it, and to prevent others from damaging it," I'd respect that. Now, finding an actual Christian who will actually live according to ideas like that is going to be pretty hard.
I think if I could choose my favorite sects of each religion, I'd find small pockets of sanity and a real sense of responsibility to the Earth and to fellow man, and I'd say that to the degree those values stem from people's religious beliefs, the religions are good. If I could find a Christian who said, "Because we are all God's people, I will extend goodwill to every person. Because the Earth is a gift from God, I will work to protect it, and to prevent others from damaging it," I'd respect that. Now, finding an actual Christian who will actually live according to ideas like that is going to be pretty hard.
