When Katrina hit New Orleans, I think most people in Britain were bemused by the insistence of some US evangelists that this was God’s punishment for all kinds of sins that happened there. Not least, I guess, because churches weren’t spared, and nor were ‘innocents’. And, of course, nobody saw too many of these evanglists going hungry to prevent scenes like this.

But now, the Bishop of Carlisle has weighed in, and announced that the floods hitting the UK last month were God’s punishment for the introduction of legislation allowing Civil Partnerships for gay couples. Yes, really:

We are in serious moral trouble because every type of lifestyle is now regarded as legitimate … Our government has been playing the role of God in saying that people are free to act as they want … The sexual orientation regulations are part of a general scene of permissiveness. We are in a situation where we are liable for God’s judgement, which is intended to call us to repentance.

And these idiots wonder why fewer and fewer people are going to church, and why anti-religious books are topping the charts.

The most crazy thing about this is that I’ll probably be criticised for disagreeing, as I inevitably am when I post on religious matters. A sample of some of the comments that’ve been left when I’ve posted on religious issues:

stay out of the realm of religion and morals, no good to comment on something that you little about, you just make yourself look silly

I AM sorry but i am telling you true you are not a human’s son you are a son of bitch

U bullshit SjHoward, bullshit, pig, dog, shut up ur bloody mouth, u r bastard

You’re an ignorant person and deserve to be punished.

If people post things I utterly disagree with on other sites, I either ignore them or respond to them with my own points. I don’t think anything I’ve ever written on religion has been particularly attacking or offensive.

Why are people so offended by people making points about their religions – however ignorant those points might be? Why is it that many people are unable to engage in real debate about religious issues? What do they fear from challenges to their beliefs? Surely challenging your beliefs is the best road to enlightenment in any area of life?