[FoRK] More faith-driven insanity: kill the teacher!

[Jeff Bone]

On Nov 30, 2007, at 11:13 AM, Luis Villa wrote:

> Violent religion is the symptom, not the cause.

I disagree.  In fact, that's a ridiculous assertion on the face of it.

Religion doesn't cause all violence, that's certain;  but religion  
*inherently causes* even more (a) non-rational thought, (b)  
intolerance and cultural exclusion, (c) hatred, and (d) xenophobia  
(and hence xenophobic violence) than would otherwise exist.  Further  
it "immunizes" those infected against the very kinds of rational  
discourse and persuasion that could counter those tendencies.  And it  
is, indeed, infectious.

In part it's this latter attribute, coupled with the fact that  
criticisms of religion or indeed any organized or individual anti- 
religious efforts (i.e., any attempts to control the epidemiology)  
have historically been taboo, that makes religion so dangerous.  One  
must conclude that it is even more pernicious than garden-variety  
cultural exclusions based on "race", class, etc.

Consider:  "race" isn't infectious --- but e.g. evangelical  
Christianity *certainly* is.  In considering public health problems,  
which is a greater concern:  congenital conditions, or infectious ones?

We're coming to a point where we're stressing the carrying capacity  
of the planet to its limits.  The continued survival, much less  
prosperity, of humanity depends on our collective ability to make  
rational, forward-looking decisions.  Religion impedes this ability.   
It is NOT an innocuous thing, and the time for tolerating it is past.

jb