You're absolutely right.  Part of the problem is that many people are afraid of what they don't understand.  A different religion or belief, can't be comprehended.  They don't have any other resort but to make fun of it, belittle it and try to put it down.  Trying to make their own beliefs above the other one keeps them from ever having to expand past their own horizons.\n\nAside from being hurtful, the other downside is that they learn to look beyond themselves and simply never grow as a person or spiritually because they're never really challenged in their faith.  Without a challenege, how do you know how really faithful you are?  And people want the easy way out of everything.  It's human nature.\n\n**As a side note**\nI don't see how she's being hypocritical at all.  She's simply asking why people have to be mean and hurtful, not that people can't share their beliefs, or even have their beliefs about other people.  You didn't answer her question, you proved her point.