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I neglected to answer one of your questions...you asked

to explain why one culture can believe in suicide bombers as going to heaven whiel another thinks they are going to hell...

You asked that in reference to how I could state that the belief in god can be based on and lead to a religion that is founded upon rational logic.

I will answer that.

Just because two belief systems disagree on an issue does not mean that they are irrational. It does mean that one is wrong and one is not...or perhaps that both are wrong. But being wrong does not make something irrational. Look at you and I . You dont believe in religion (or at least you act like you dont so forgive me if I assume incorrectly) I believe in God. One of us is right and the other is wrong. Period. That does not mean that the one who is wrong is irrational. It does not make him insane or illogical. It jst simply means that through his own interpretation of the facts he sees before him he was wrong...incorrect. The world is full of philosiphers that wew later dismissed as wrong. It certainly did not make them wrong.

Some of the world most celbrated philosiphers were ardent Christians. Does that make them crackpots. Homer was a pagan who believed in a multitude of dieties..does that make him a freak of nature. An irrational weirdo who can tthink. I dont think so. Your position that one has to be one or the other is what I take umbrage to. Just because someone is wrong does not make them irrational. It is the same animosity that defeated Ayn Rand. She could not argue successfully against religion because ever word that came from her mouth was dripping with her contempt for it. She could not even discuss it from a objective perspective. It colors the value of her observations.

I believe you are wrong. But I dont think you are an idiot. Why must you assume that because I believe in God I must be a irrational nutscase who believes in "mystical fantasies"?

Now as for why two religions can contradict themselves and how that doesnt mean they have apposing moral perspectives.

Suicide bombing is a modern development. There isnt even any writings in the Koran about suicide bombings. It is clear in a religious context (lets speak in Judaeo-Chritianic terms) that murder is evil however.

Nevertheless even the bible offers up justifications for war. So clearly in some instances killing is not "murder" and therefor does not consitute a sin...and just so you know the original greek interpretations out of the aramaic do in fact differentiate between the act of murder and kill.

Where an action falls in that line of reasoning is a matter of interpretation. That interpretation may very well as you believe be a result of irrational behavior and belief systems. But it is not necessarily so. A person could have a very clearly thought out and very logical explanation as to why a suicide bombing is not evil. I dont doubt that the palestinians have just that. The only question is whetehr you AGREE with their reasoning.

Now as for who is right and who is wrong...That is where things get interesting.

There are muslims who believ that suicide bombing is evil because it slays innocent lives. Are they right? I would argue that since the number of people who are actually out doing suicide bombing is significantly lower then than full number of muslims thatg the majority of muslims...while happy to have their brethren kill a few infidels dont necessarily believe it is a one way ticket to paradise.

That is a matter of indoctrination...Now I could really get heavy here and start quoting the Koran surah for surah and give yu all kinds of rational reasons why I personally believe that the Koran is a false religion and why I believe it builds upon religious doctrinal turths that came before it and then perverts them to its own ends...but that is a whole seperate discussion.

The bottom line is that religious doctrine dictates that killing is wrong. It is MEN that draw the distinctions that say oh suicide bombing is fine or no its not.

But neither of those behaviors are in and of themselves necessarily irrational.