Why I Love Religion

I've never understood why so many progressives hate religion so much - often irrationally. While I certainly don't care for some of it's practitioners, on the whole I find religion to be a beautiful thing. This article about a 72-year-old pastor in Lexington, Kentucky who is trying to organize a national religious movement of moderate and liberal congregations to attempt to counter the religious right is one of those reasons. Here's an excerpt:

"If, as you say, countless religious people are largely progressive, why do you think religious conservatives have dominated the political debate in America? How do you see the media's influence?

The media finds itself attracted to two things, controversy and brief, neat answers. I recall speaking at a meeting several years ago in Seattle about the political influence of the religious right. Six hundred people were inside and three people (from the religious right) were outside, and the media, in this instance television, gave equal time to both sides. "