Its too hard to differentiate
"I don't think it's the religion you hate, it's the people who practice it so badly."
I don't disagree with this. I don't exactly hate the mess, but I do my best to stay away from it.
Look at it this way. I might have a nice little reflecting pool in my back yard. The pool provides some enjoyment, put in some nice goldfish, maybe watch the birds stop in to drink. Plenty of positives there. But stagnant water breeds mosquitoes too. Despite the plusses, if I find myself getting stung every evening when I go into the back yard, I'm apt to figure that the plusses don't make up for the minuses and I'm going to do away with the source of my discomfort. Sorry fish, sorry birds, take it up with the mosquitoes. (Having a sister who has contracted Lyme disease, my dislike for mosquitoes is intense).
I suspect therein lies Ashton's viewpoint. Religious tolerance overtaxed. Best to just do away with the whole mess.
