I love seeing a good, civil discussion about religion and faith. Especially in college, it is a worthwhile exercise to expose yourself to new ideas. With that being said, when I read Matthew Brown’s letter to the editor, the collective eyes of non-believers, Hindus, Muslims, and moderate Christians were rolled. It seems as though Mr. Brown and many Christians can not understand why so many turn from Christ or, more specifically, their version of Christ.

Mr. Brown, in very atypical Christian fashion applied deductive reasoning to expose some straw man arguments made by atheists. But in very typical Christian fashion, this logic was applied incorrectly: mainly ignoring the inconsistencies in the Bible, Christian teachings and forgetting the possibility of a (divine?) body being moved from one place to another.

Despite all my huffing and puffing, ranting and raving, or reason and evidence I could never convince many devout Christians to see their side as unreasonable. But, I can tell you why many non-believers, such as I, are angered by religion, Christianity in particular.

I am angry because rational government discourse in America is overtaken by the religious right and their wish to impose their beliefs on the rest of Americans. In a 2007 survey, only 45 percent of Americans would vote for a “generally well-qualified atheist.”

I am angry because the love of my gay friends is being denied by the same arguments and “logic” that extreme Christians used to deny women’s suffrage and integration of schools.

I am angry because my morality is based off of love and compassion for others, while extreme Christians declare that everything needs to be done in the name of God.

I am angry because Christians believe it to be so noble and difficult to be a Christian in America. It’s not difficult. No Christian in America is ever persecuted, verbally abused or discriminated against because of their religion.

No American Christian is without a community that accepts and loves them. And I am jealous. I will never tell my parents my religious views for fear of being disowned.

I am saddened and angered when I hear that the only “objective purpose” in life can be found in Jesus’ grace. Because I have seen non-religious institutions like my friends, university and government stand for what is right, I refuse to believe that the only purpose in life is Jesus.