Religion and the USA 2 (DOAC 5)

I was thinking of Mr. Bolos' post, "Competing Narratives," on the influence of religion on "holy wars".  I can't help but wonder how much "bad" in the world religion has contributed to (or caused).  George W. Bush called our war in the middle est a "crusade."  Why, then as I pointed out in "Religion and the USA 1" do so many agnostics and non religious citizens of this country (where we are afforded the privilege of freedom of religion) go to church.

As an agnostic, I see other agnostic, questionably religious or liberal persons joining a religious group as contemptible.  I understand that people join religious groups for the community and the "morals" (don't get me started on religious morals), but that does not excuse religion of its shortcomings and corruption.

Whether you want to admit to yourself or not, giving money to a religious organization is the equivalent of giving money to a group of bigots with morally reprehensible valuables. Don't get me wrong, lots of good comes from religious groups (soup kitchens and other charities).

Unfortunately for the non-religious needy, a lot of the charities of religious groups only benefit people of that religion, for instance my temple seems to do a disproportionate number of service projects for other Jews (whether they be in Africa or Chicago or Louisiana).  If I told you that I was going to do some service projects for one specific ethnic group similar to mine, you would undoubtedly call me a bigot.

This is not even the worse bigotry and social growth retardation that religion is over and over involved with.  Religion is almost always used to battle against the civil rights of minorities and the disenfranchised. Whether it be slavery, minority rights, women's rights or gay rights, someone is always quoting the Quran or Bible or Torah.

If your Lion's club was associated with this much bigotry, you would certainly resign.

Then there is the AIDS problem in Africa (we all know about it).  What people refrain from speaking about is the way that the pope has instructed missionaries not to teach safe sex practices.  I agree with the pope, Jesus would prefer to have millions of poor, impoverished, AIDS stricken, parentless (dead from AIDS) children.

You may say that this is a religious problem, not an American problem. Unfortunately, as our country becomes more and more stooped in religious fundamentalism, it becomes a national problem.

Before recent years, Presidents never said they had been chosen by Jesus or that they are doing god's work.  People have never voted "as a christian."  More people go to church more often than ever before in US history.  It scares me that in an age when we have a slight grasp on truth, a vast majority of Americans will veil themselves in the blissful ignorance of religion.