I have to agree with Rodney.
I was brought up in a Church of England school, and as an adult have realised that I have no faith.
I understand the contents of the bible, I have read it cover to cover on several occasions, and I have no faith.
As someone who knows the contents of the bible, but does not believe in God I am (if there can be such a thing) a "Christian-heritage" atheist - I do not believe that there is no God, I just have never found or experienced anything that gave me faith; however, I was taught all about Jesus and I have a Christianised view of the world.
One cannot choose faith, one either believes in a particular thing or not.
That said - I was taught that Jesus preached that riches could bar the way to heaven, that victims of violence should turn the other cheek, that it was wrong to take up arms, and that a good person took part in the established political order ("render unto Caesar").
He spoke out against wars of liberation - remember the Zealot that he took to be one of his 12?
He spoke out against intolerance - remember the stoning?
All in all, I find that most of the US religious right (as viewed from the UK) are no more "christian" (as defined by "people who follow Jesus' words and deeds") than a house-brick.
I can see the arguments to invade Iraq, or to bomb abortion clinics - I just cannot see how anyone can justify them as being anything to do with a supremely decent, poor, neighbour loving, pacifist that was nailed to a tree 2000 years ago.
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Overhead, the Albatross hangs motionless upon the air,
And deep beneath the rolling waves,
In labyrinths of Coral Caves,
The Echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand;
And everthing is Green and Submarine
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