Tolerance of IntoleranceYear 2013 (Christian calendar), at the height of the technological revolution, the machete of science is still indefatigably cutting through the undergrowth of ignorance. Thousands of years of progress, from the wheel to space probes, and yet we are still unable to shake off the fetters of religion. Not faith, not belief: religion. There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that a large portion of Humanity, in the face of so many unanswered questions, has a need for faith in some form or other. Belief in the existence of a god or gods is as respectable as the contrary. It belongs to the realms of personal belief and as such is harmless. This is not the case of organized faith, i.e. religions. Religions go far beyond the simple, deep-rooted and heartfelt credence of the faithful. They become powerful entities, with financial and political backing. Their theologians outline their doctrines. They claim to be the holders of Truth, often in the face of irrefutable evidence to the contrary. We believed, yes, believed, that with the separation of powers, with laws of religious tolerance, we could keep the Church, the Churches, in check. That has not been the case. A U.S.President must, almost by definition, have a creed of some sort, be he Obama, Bush or JFK. We swear and take oaths on a bible. Legislators have to bear in the mind the power of the Catholic vote, the Jewish lobby, the Islamic opinion. It is time to move on. Remove God from the dollar bill, take down the crucifixes and stars of David from all public places, keep religion out of schools, out of local administration, out of politics. Faith should be a purely personal issue and any attempt at coercing others to share your beliefs should be discouraged. Zero tolerance with organized religion in public life is not incompatible with respect for individual belief. If we managed to achieve that, perhaps people would no longer kill or be killed in the name of …….. (please choose a name from the list below).

Year 2013 (Christian calendar), at the height of the technological revolution, the machete of science is still indefatigably cutting through the undergrowth of ignorance. Thousands of years of progress, from the wheel to space probes, and yet we are still unable to shake off the fetters of religion.

Not faith, not belief: religion. There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that a large portion of Humanity, in the face of so many unanswered questions, amidst so much suffering, has a need for faith in some form or other. Belief in the existence of a god or gods is as respectable as the opposite. It belongs to the realms of personal belief and as such is harmless.

This is not the case of organized faith, i.e. religions. Religions go far beyond the simple, deep-rooted and heartfelt credence of the faithful. They become powerful entities, with financial and political backing. Theologians outline their doctrines. They claim to be the holders of Truth, often in the face of irrefutable evidence to the contrary.

We believed, yes, believed, that with the separation of powers, with laws of religious tolerance, we could keep the Church, the Churches, in check. That has not been the case.

A U.S.President  must, almost by definition, have a creed of some sort, be he Obama, Bush or JFK. We swear and take oaths on a bible. Legislators have to bear in the mind the power of the Catholic vote, the Jewish lobby, the Islamic opinion.

It is time to move on. Remove God from the dollar bill, take down the crucifixes and stars of David from all public places, keep religion out of schools, out of local administration, out of politics. Faith should be a purely personal issue and any attempt at coercing others to share your beliefs should be discouraged.

Zero tolerance with organized religion in public life is not incompatible with respect for individual belief. If we managed to achieve that, perhaps people would no longer kill or be killed in the name of …….. (please choose a name from the list below).