Religious Intolerance Expanding

As I read about the many less than stable people that use their religions to justify their intolerance of others, even going so far as to kill them, it makes we wonder if some or all religions have outlived the purpose for which they were created. When we fail to acknowledge that these so-called pearls of wisdom on how to live were written at a different time for vastly different reasons, we risk being stuck with ideologies that may no longer have the same relevance for the believers, with some interpretations doing more harm than good.

While I remain understanding of those that choose to believe in a god, I wish they could simply keep their beliefs for their homes and places of worship and away from the public domain. The talk about conflict between western democracies versus those countries in the east appears to be more of a sparring match between Christianity and Islam, both seemingly vying for world dominance. If you doubt that, just look to the U.S. presidential race as GOP candidates (Romney-Ryan) never miss an opportunity to cater to the Christian majority with their “God Bless America” and putting the Christian spin into their politics. Obama is no better. Across the oceans, riots are generally rationalized as advancing the interests of Allah. Although some people may argue that these conflicts are motivated by issues of poverty, the have-nots versus the haves, when you drill through the layers of disinformation you will ultimately find religion as the primary component of the root cause.

As long as politics and the business of government are influenced by religious ideology, however indirectly, a peaceful and balanced world will likely remain but a dream. Sadly, it may take a few more generations for the light to come on.