Honorary Knight Major
"It is time that a blight on all humanity was recognized as such, its terribly harmful effects and its lack of truth being very important elements of that blight."
Religion, although perhaps it does a little good here and there, has always been harmful � and Christianity, too, has always been a prominent influence in the spread of that harm. The facts of history are, however, immutable. If only humankind were guided more, much more, by truth.
It is time that atheists came out. And agnostics, too, for that matter. It is time that a blight on all humanity was recognized as such, its terribly harmful effects and its lack of truth being very important elements of that blight. It is time that the highly desirable acceleration of the decline of religious belief was given extra impetus by continual injections of contrary opinions from those that have been too silent for too long. Not one of the religions is worthy of exemption from the powerful criticisms that it is not difficult to muster.
With effects of often calamitous proportions, many of the beliefs have been passed on through the centuries; much of humankind is still under their influence. Religion is still a potent force in the world, a terribly harmful force, a blight on humanity, it may be argued. There has been in history a hundred years� war with religious conflict at its base. Is 2001 to be the beginning of another such war?
John Rawson
Atheist Foundation of Australia
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