In a world where people are separated by geography, culture, individual differences, economics, education, and opportunities, many religions are a threat to human kind. While some religions stress goodness, kindness, charity, and the performance of good deeds, many others teach that only the belief in their savior allows one into heaven.
Those religious groups that preach goodness for goodness sake should be encouraged, congratulated, and supported. Those who preach that only people who worship their god will enter into heaven — all others will go to hell for an eternity — should be shunned and ignored. They are a menace to society.
The belief that one enters heaven based on good deeds creates a charitable, worthwhile society. The belief that one can only get to heaven by believing in the church’s deity, creates a bigoted, intolerant, cruel society. Human kind would be better without such a belief. Wars are fought over conflicts about which god is the “true” god. As Ataturk said when attempting to bring Turkey into a stable democratic government, “All religions should be at the bottom of the sea.” Those religions that teach and tolerate hatred and conflict to advance their dogmatic dogmas are a menace to mankind. To believe that man must work to please an all-powerful, all-knowing, supernatural being is illogical, stupid, and a threat to peace. To do good for god rather than for man demeans human kind. Such beliefs should be at the bottom of the sea.
The Saints and the noted men and women of religion are always people who advance the dogmatic beliefs of their religion. One never knows what another person believes about god and life after death. But only those who publicly profess to believe as the Mother Church teaches ever attain sainthood. Saints are chosen for what they do for the power structure of the church, not for what they do for their fellow man. What a drag on humanity! What a pity!
Every effort to support god and religion detracts from helping humanity. There will never be peace in the world until people realize that they will be judged by their deeds, not by their strong beliefs that cannot be proven.
John A. Henderson MD
Life member of American Atheists
Author of GOD-COM: A Deity for the New Millennium and FEAR FAITH FACT FANTASY