As much as I dread making posts in a public forum, I guess perhaps it was time that someone tried to bring some common sense to this.
Ladies and Gentlemen: The OP made it pretty clear that he was a - "reformed, evangelical, conservative Christian. (aka bible based)". What this means to my admittedly limited understanding is that he is a Believer in the Christian faith and looks upon the Bible as the more or less literal word of God, and all that goes with it, including but not limited to Atheists such as myself going to hell, and anyone not baptized or otherwise accepting of the faith.
For people to actually try to argue with him on scientific, moral or theological grounds is an exercise in total and utter futility - especially if your attempting to win "hearts and minds".
At the end of the day you can only preach to the converted, and a true believer is not going change his mind on matters just because your attempting to point out logical or even illogical issues with his faith - that's why its called "faith". Indeed any attempt to attack him merely serves reinforce his faith since a person's faith is nothing if it is not tested - very much like Job.
I consider myself to be an atheist, but that does not mean that I have be intolerant of someone's religious beliefs. I know to a fair degree my Bibles, Korans, Torahs, Vedas, Zend Avestas, Das Capitals, and whatever commentary goes with it. I see that they al have some to add to the Human Adventure, even if some of it can be quite..lacking in humanity. This however does not mean that they cannot be appreciated in and off themselves by even Atheists such as myself. For me religion is more a matter of aesthetics than a matter of faith.
My point here is that if your religion provides you the necessary moral foundation to be a gentle , compassionate and decent human being, then that says as much about you as your religion.
However if in the name of your religion you can rape, torture, mutilate, oppress and murder, just because "it says so".. well then people like me can also discover religion overnight, one of the tenets of this newly discovered religious epiphany will be shoving my boot up the backside of the people who say that they can do all of the above in the name of their religion.
I am not particularly concerned what a person's religious or ideological views are, just so long as they don't hold a gun to people's heads, literally or metaphorically.
The Wicked have and probably will continue to use religion as a justification for their own actions, but so can those who don't use religion. The flip side however is that you don't need religion to know that in most instances murder in cold blood, (this precludes in defense of another whose life is in immediate danger) or rape, or torture or mutilation is wrong. You don't need religion to tell you that, you just KNOW - just like a Believer.
If the OP believes Gays, Pro-Choicers, Atheists, Jews, peoples of other religions and Christians not of his denomination are going to hell, how does this matter to you? Its what HE DOES not what he SAYS or BELIEVES that matters. I can only hope that a man who sincerely believes in his faith, understands the distinction between the spirit of the word and the letter of the word. That if someone is to be a good Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu , Communist, etc etc , knows that they know that the world is better served by love, compassion and mercy than fury, wrath and vengeance.
