In a world with the internet, space travel, heart transplants, and the human genome project, it's hard to believe that religion has never held a bigger place in global society than it does today. 85 percent of the world's population belongs to one form of religion or another. In most societies, religion is a constant fixture of daily life. Its influence is felt on the media, on education, and on governments worldwide. It is part of every culture and often guides our moral compass, both socially and individually. It brings us comfort and hope, promise and redemption; however, religion has a darker side as well.
Man has killed one another over religious beliefs since the existence of religion. Religion has, historically, been tied to every major conflict and upheaval worldwide since ancient times. Empires have risen and fell in the name of religion. Man has committed horrible atrocities against his brother over a difference of religious beliefs and parents have slaughtered their children for it. Face it, the number one killer of humanity is religion.
Rampant destruction and death rooted in religious ideology is clearly not a phenomenon from primitive eras. Today when we think of religious fanaticism we immediately equate it to the muslim faith and the terrorist organizations of the middle east. What if we looked a little closer to home and a little deeper within ourselves? What would we find? Certainly most American hate groups profess a deep love for christianity. Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan preach hate against the jewish people while worshiping the jewish incarnation of a living god. What about anti-abortion activists whose religious beliefs guide them to defend the sanctity of life in the unborn while allowing them to take the lives of abortion doctors? Are they really that much different from a suicide bomber in Iraq who is willing to kill and surrender his own life for his beliefs? Churches such as the one that protests the funerals of american soldiers simply because they feel that america's tolerance of homosexuality is an abomination to God, certainly could be compared to the Taliban which also preaches intolerance and seeks to spread a message of religious rooted hate and oppression. Do our own hate groups not warrant the title of terrorists simply because they are american and...christian?
As americans we preach tolerance and acceptance politically and socially, yet we fight homosexuality, abortion, and women's rights based on our christian views. What about the even more extreme instances of religious fanaticism in America? The Branch Davidian followers in Waco Texas believed their preacher was Christ himself. They shed blood and ultimately gave their lives for their religious beliefs. Similarly, Jim Jones led thousands to their death in Guyana under the auspices of religion. Despite what many would categorize as isolated incidents carried out by extremists, if you asked the average christian if they would die for their God, the answer would undoubtly be yes. If one's own life is meaningless in the face of religion, where does everyone else's lives rank?
This is the problem with humanity. We have let ideology and belief cloud our judgement and guide our hand. The problem with beliefs is that they can't be changed. Beliefs don't allow for common sense, or equality, they don't allow for a change in structure or an adoption of new principles. Religious belief will always be rooted in archaic, out-dated, principles, set forth by a primative people; and yet we cling to it fiercely.
Modern religion is a hypocritical dichotomy. All major religions preach a message of peace and yet each one feels justified in the blood they shed all over the world. Perhaps the biggest hypocrisy lies in christianity. The message of Christ was clear: Love thy enemy, turn the other cheek, and pray for the souls of those who would harm you. Yet It was our christian military that surprised an unarmed Osama Bin Laden and shot him in the face out of revenge. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Bin Laden's death, but I'm not religious either. I don't preach tolerance while exacting revenge on my enemies. Were we truly christ-like in our pursuit of justice or is the notion of even pursuing justice against anyone an affront to christianity? Where do we draw the line? When is it okay to ignore biblical teachings and when should we force those beliefs on others? One thing I know for certain, as an atheist I do not believe in the teachings of christianity, and apparently, neither do most christians. it is sad that the basic message of all major religions goes largely ignored while we kill one another, and that message is simple: Make peace among all people and treat everyone as you would be treated.
While we view fanatics like Bin Laden and the Taliban as absolute evil operating under religious pretense; do the citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq not have grounds to view us with the same contempt? Bin Laden knocked down 3 buildings in America, how may have we knocked down in Iraq and Afghanistan? Bin Laden is responsible for roughly 4000 American civilian deaths, we have killed hundreds of thousands of middle east civilians since 9/11. So much for turning the other cheek.
The collective religious fervor in the world today will ultimately change the course of humanity drastically if not end it completely. No one will be rewarded with virgins, Jesus isn't coming to rescue us from death, and the mothership won't be picking us up. Our endtimes prophecies are convieniantly self-fulfilling and given the present state of the world, increasingly likely. Perhaps it is time to put away childish notions and mend fences with those who we view as different. At the very least, lets not let the fairy tales we tell ourselves, cost human lives.
DON'T START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME!
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