An effort in futility: Arguing God in article comments

It's practically a morbid fascination that prompts me to read the comments left under an article at most news/information sites, especially when it's anything about religion, and especially when that religion is Christian.

Case in point, here are a few screen grabs of comments left under this post at CNN's Belief blog. I think these sum up the spectrum of responses one generally encounters under pieces of this sort, and is hopefully illustrative of the sheer silliness in trying to wage the rational vs. religious debate in this type of forum. (And if it's not illustrative, you probably shouldn't be reading my blog. On second thought, maybe you should be.)

Click each photo to enlarge for legibility:

I actually kind of dig what Wayshower writes. It probably comes closest
to lining up with my own thoughts. I also like how the second commenter
starts his contribution with "Roar!!!" Silly. And while the third comment
is unoriginal in delivery, it's got just the right amount of snark to make
me chuckle.

Proof that you can bang out your well-reasoned, nine-sentence, "outside the
box of socialization" argument and still not change the opinion of
someone whose mind is already set. Pithy response, too, which
also earned a chuckle.

The first commenter is someone who has decided to focus exclusively on
the bad side of religion. That's probably the only angle of attack he has.
The second comment uses some highly specious reasoning to back up his
assertions about the Bible's validity. And the third commenter had me
until he brought up proselytizing, which strikes me as less an act of
morality and one rooted in the the very human realm of politics.

I don't have anything to add to the CNN post other than this: On a very general level, universalism, as it's defined in the post, appeals to me and is what I believe (though not necessarily the specific details of Heaven as traditionally envisioned in the Judeo-Christian view). However, I do like to think that the truly wicked and evil face some sort of punishment after they leave this plane of existence.