Sorry, this seems to be like saying that because polio affects less people today than it did a hundred years ago that it isn't a problem anymore.

Have i misunderstood your point?

Ok, militant Islam is not the only religion to do this, at least they have the courtesy to kill you most of the time.

Far more insidious is what the Christians do, billions of children are taut to hate themselves and others for reasons that are, as far as i can reason, total rubbish.

They are taut that it is ok see others as less than themselves, be they gay, or of other religions, or no religion, or other race. It doesn't matter that those things are or aren't technically in the original dogma (as it happens most of the above are supported by the bible).

The point is it can be shoved down children's throats under the cover of god, this is something that always happens in religion because there is no true north like in science, someone with influence has a pet peeve and 2000 years later 6 million innocent people get murdered.

The core of this can be exposed by simply switching the complaint around, the argument goes like this...

I want my children to grow up fully informed about the way the world is.

I want their transition into adulthood to be as easy as possible and it is my view that showing casual nudity and swearing as they grow up is the most painless way for them...

Thats it. Oh ye most people I know who have been brought up sheltered from nudity and swearing seem to end up demonising themselves for things that come naturally to them, it may be coincidence but i'm not so sure.

OK this seems to have gone off topic a lot, the motion is about religion not the media.

Religion does have to much influence in society today and it always will as long as it exists in an state worth calling religion.

My reasoning on this is simple, religion is a world view based on faith(everything that follows is connected to that definition).

religion can have stories or ideas beyond that but at its core every religion must be based on faith.

Now faith is belief without evidence(if any Christians would like to dispute that i draw your attention to Hebrews 11:1).

The up shot of this is a tacit acceptance that people can believe silly or even dangerous things and not be told they are wrong, because that would disrespect faith.

This is the true and most dangerous power of religion, that it lets the kinds of people who would do evil do it so much easier.

Evidence for this is there for all to see, when people tell their children growing up that if such a god wills something it is right and must be done we can not be surprised when some of those children kill themselves and others, because another person told them it was god's will!