Is
religion the greatest barrier to peace that the world has ever known?
Virtually
all religions push a loving message, but is that loving and inclusive
message really just a veneer painted over what is in reality the
promotion of a mindset that encourages violence and disharmony?
A mindset
that is fundamentally incapable of respecting anyone who does not
fall under the umbrella of a chosen faith.
This
morning I am reading some news updates about the current situation in
the middle east, and how the numbers of fatalities are rising in the
aftermath of the offence cause by an anti-Islam film that originated
from the United States.
Innocent
parties, people who have no connection with those who created the
film, have died.
Why is
this acceptable?
Some of
those who have lost their lives will not have seen this film, nor
will they have any interest in it.
Why
should their families be mourning the loss of their loved one over
something that the person had no control over, and in all likelihood
didn't support?
Where is
the rational justification surrounding this ongoing misery?
I also
see that Channel 4 have decided not to screen a repeat of their
documentary Islam : The Untold Story after seeking security advice.
That
translates to the personal safety of those involved cannot be
assured, so best not to inflame the situation, and leave it on the
shelf.
That
decision is a blatant example of freedom of expression cowering under
the boot heel of a threat of violence.
This
reaction, while understandable, sickens me.
Do we
really want to live in a world where we have to consider every single
utterance in case it offends, as lets be honest some people can be
offended at virtually everything?
This is
not an attack on Islam in itself.
My issue
is with religion in its totality.
For every
fundamentalist Muslim who despises the west for not sharing their
views, there's equally a Christian mirroring their hate speech and
willing to back it up with physical violence.
I've
heard all the arguments where people have asked me to provide
evidence of Christians flying jets into the side of a building.
As if
their chosen religion is guilt free from involvement in atrocities.
What they
are trying to do is differentiate their religion from another.
To claim that one is bad and theirs is good.
Yet
that's a twisted view that has more holes in it than the shroud of
Turin.
If you
want to take a big step back then historically what was the Crusades?
As a
religion Christianity has as much blood on its hands as any other.
No one
from the Middle East was clambering up the white cliffs of Dover to
subjugate England.
Christians
took the fight to the Muslims then.
Drop it
down to a small scale and drag it into the present and certain
Christians are still plotting to fire-bomb abortion clinics, murder
doctors and nurses, beat to death homosexuals and vote for anyone who
will promise to bomb certain portions of the middle east back to the
stone age.
Everyone
is guilty.
Or to be more exact everyone who nails their flag to a religion.
Even if they consider themselves a moderate, and would shy away from the worst excesses of their brethren, they are still complicit in a system that promotes misery.
Any
rational human being will be able to see that the common denominator
in all this misery is religion itself.
Without
it we would still have people dying violently.
That is
the way of life.
It's the
ugly side of human nature and it's doubtful that violence will ever
be eradicated completely, but could we maybe manage to drop it a
notch just by ditching religion?
I would
think so.
Without
religious people would be free from being stoned for being raped, free
from being beaten for not covering their face with a scarf, free to
marry anyone no matter where they came from or what gender they were,
free to openly speak without being censured, and more.
Religion
doesn't open a door for anyone.
It closes
doors.
It drives
a wedge between us all and creates disharmony at every turn.
So choose
life.
Choose a
future for us all.
Choose
Atheism.
