Agnosticism IS the most dishonest position

[Belacqua]

Hitchens' speech is not persuasive to me. I heard it a long time ago, and listened to the first part again.

It is foolish to blame the problems in Belfast simply on religion. They have far more to do with the political history. Religion provides an identity and a rallying point, but no one there was killing each other over theological disputes. 

So that speech does nothing to prove that "religious reasons are at the top of the chart." Domination of one country by another for economic and political reasons caused the problems in Ireland. 

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Having spent a significant part of my life in and around Belfast, I can tell you that you're flat wrong.  I've personally known people who were murdered SOLELY for religious reasons.  I witnessed an adult male screaming, 'It's going to be a long winter for you little Papist cunts' at a group of eight year old schoolgirls.  I've seen Catholic churches spray canned with the words 'No Pope Here!', 'Fuck The Pope' and 'Papists Out'.

Has politics played a role in the Troubles?  Yes, and a significant one. But before you claim 'no one there was killing each other over theological disputes' you might want to look a little more in depth at what went on there.  The whole REASON Ireland was split into the North and the Republic was that that the southern part of the island was (in the words of Winston Churchill) 'top heavy with Catholics.'

Boru

You don't cite any theological disputes. Wanting the papists out isn't theological. 

Were they killing each other about whether the presence of Christ in the host was real or symbolic? Or was it based on historical resentments concerning who was in charge, who was perceived as an occupier? 

As I said, religion provides an identity and a rallying point when political and economic issues are causing trouble.