Religion IS war. It is the necessary first step in organizing and galvanizing a population for war. It teaches the people to think of themselves and their cause as good and to see the "others" as irredeemably bad. It gives them a way to quell the fear they might feel at the thought of their own deaths in war and the guilt they might feel over the thought of killing other people.
Once this dividing and demonizing of the "other" occurs, the war has begun--even if no one has committed an overtly violent act. The effect of this process is to marginalize or even ostracize those who don't belong to the dominant religious group within a society. This leaves them with little or no way to lead an ordinary life. They will not be able to have as many friends--if any. They will not be able to find a mate--or at the very least will be forced to choose from the least desirable available. They may not even be able to find work and will be forced to live in poverty. And, as Mahatma Ghandi said: "Poverty is the worst kind of violence."
Here is a link to an article in the European Journal of American Studies concerning the history of the attitudes of people (particularly in the U.S.) toward atheists. The article lays out in detail length, depth, and breadth of prejudice in Western Society and in the U.S. toward atheists.
Here are a few brief summations of these points:
1. "Religion is a form of warfare--even if no violence is used."
2. "Religion is the original weapon of mass destruction."
3. "Religion divides people into mutually exclusive groups and gives them no way to form a single group without violence."
4. "Religion always results in bias against outsiders."
Once this dividing and demonizing of the "other" occurs, the war has begun--even if no one has committed an overtly violent act. The effect of this process is to marginalize or even ostracize those who don't belong to the dominant religious group within a society. This leaves them with little or no way to lead an ordinary life. They will not be able to have as many friends--if any. They will not be able to find a mate--or at the very least will be forced to choose from the least desirable available. They may not even be able to find work and will be forced to live in poverty. And, as Mahatma Ghandi said: "Poverty is the worst kind of violence."
Here is a link to an article in the European Journal of American Studies concerning the history of the attitudes of people (particularly in the U.S.) toward atheists. The article lays out in detail length, depth, and breadth of prejudice in Western Society and in the U.S. toward atheists.
Here are a few brief summations of these points:
1. "Religion is a form of warfare--even if no violence is used."
2. "Religion is the original weapon of mass destruction."
3. "Religion divides people into mutually exclusive groups and gives them no way to form a single group without violence."
4. "Religion always results in bias against outsiders."
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