Terrific article, James.

This issue has a long road ahead of it because the reasons for intolerance and bigotry are many, and varied. (In my opinion.)

I personally despise organized religion of ALL types, since I note that intolerance, hyprocrasy, cruelty and bigotry are pretty strong factors in them.

I feel also that most people are “followers” and so when they are members of a religious group, they can be easily led into really bad ideas and beliefs.

Many (not all) but many leaders are basically pschycopaths and power mongers. They like that people follow them sheeplike and I really don’t think they care about what they are saying. Or they really believe that what they are promoting is “the truth” and zealously promote their ideas to ensure that they maintain power.

How can all this change? I feel that organized religion has to be stopped — but how? Russia tried it, and it didn’t work out well at all.

So what then? I think we have to address the underlying issues that motivate people.

For one thing, I think that superstition plays HUGELY into this equation.

Some religious leader talks mumbo jumbo on any given subject, and then threatens the people with eternal damnation if they do not follow his/her teachings.

To me anyone that believes in eternal damnation is being naive at very least.

What about the idiots that think ground up elephant tusks will help them achieve better sex? Or the ones that think eating bats and other exotic animals will cure them of a long list of diseases? What about all the people that believe in female and male circumcision? Or the ones that think anyone “different” (gay, black, chinese, indian, martian, crippled, blind, fat …) is bad and therefore dangerous? What about the people that believe in rain dances? Or that if you put a crucifix on your door you will be protected from evil ?

I could go on, but you probably get my drift.

How can we show people that different is not necessarily dangerous and a threat?