Moderate Religion is Dangerous Too

If the human species is to survive, we must rid ourselves of the belief that any entity exists which would have us exert control over others for the pleasure of said being. Why would I make such a brash statement?

First, this is the age of the nuclear warhead, and Islamic states will have nukes. Secondly, this is the age of technology, easily accessible by anyone, regardless of their religious beliefs. We, as a species are now at a point where any extremist religious zealot could conceivably inflict harm on others in the name of their imaginary friend, all from the comfort of their living room.

As I pointed out in the topic "You Will Evolve Too," people are beginning to see the collections of fables in the Bible and other religious texts for what they are - fables. Even the religious communities here in the United States - for the most part - no longer support the idea that there is some sort of invisible man sitting around up in the sky.

The mega-belief in a sky god (as explained in this wonderful video from Evid3nc3) must be called into question, if for no other reason than to challenge the validity of their texts. Where religious moderates claim to be more reasonable than their extremist counter-parts, they lay cover for the extremists within their communities.

Before any readers say that Christian extremists do not believe in violence, allow me to remind you of the names of Scott Phillip Roeder and Anders Behring Breivik. As for extremists in Islam, there may not be a human alive who isn't far too aware of how the myths of religion can lead folks into being willing to fly planes into buildings or a suicide bombing of a city bus loaded down with people in Tel Aviv.

Judaism is no less innocent when a reader sees what Israel is doing to the people of Palestine - all because they believe themselves as "the chosen people." Is this, or is this not the very root of racism, that some deity holds anyone in a higher regard than others?

But these sorts of extremists are too obvious. Anyone who would be inclined to take the lives of others for the sake of the voices in their heads or for irrational dogma are obviously in need of medical help, if we've reached them before they act out. Examples like Roeder and Breivik are easy points to agree on. Militant Islamic extremists - the same. The ones who we need to have a talk with are the moderates.

As long as libraries stock the various religious books of human history anywhere but the fiction section, as long as any preacher anywhere can claim their particular translation of their version of any "holy book" as the "inviolable Word of God®," we will always run the risk of someone seeing the commands to kill others who disagree as orders from on high. As in the various Judeo-Christian Bible translations, so in the different versions of the Muslim Koran. Religion causes more violence and division than any other factor.

It is the people who try to behave rationally, while they yet hold on to the myth of the 6-day creation, the talking snake and the magical tree who create the breeding grounds for the mentalities of those who would take their delusions to dangerous lengths. Once they've come to accept the facts of evolution, science and reason, then those suffering from delusion will be uncovered.

The source books of the Abrahamic religions must be identified for what they are - fables from the Bronze Age - and nothing more. If religious moderates have the love for their fellow man (which I believe you do because I have witnessed some great acts of love from you) this simple truth must be acknowledged in your churches.