Excerpt #9 from my book, Religion, An Obstacle to Human Progress
Religion Is The Root Cause of Wars
“I think that there are no forces on this planet more dangerous to us all than the fanaticisms of fundamentalism, of all the species: Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, as well as countless smaller infections. Is there a conflict between science and religion here? There most certainly is.” – Daniel C. Dennett, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea
I recall a remark by a Yale Divinity School professor: “If the general public were to attend divinity school, what they would learn would mark the end of organized religion as we know it.”
That may be because in addition to the oft heard claim that “Religion has long been recognized for its key role in the development of civilization and is, therefore, worth studying,” others recognize that religion itself has been the root cause of bloody wars, genocides, crusades, missionary atrocities, and persecutions.
That, in part, explains why one of my Harvard professors, an expert on the Bible, noted on a paper I submitted, “…the Bible is a text written for another time, which contains points of view that have been used in later times to support destructive attitudes and actions.”
He once shared his frustration with me as to the current state of religion.
“Sometimes, I think we would be better off if we didn’t have any religion,” he said candidly.
“There is something feeble and a little contemptible about a man who cannot face the perils of life without the help of comfortable myths.
“Almost inevitably somepart of him is aware that they are myths and that he believes them only because they are comforting.
“But he dare not face this thought!
“Moreover, since he is aware, however dimly, that his opinions are not rational, he becomes furious when they are disputed.” – Bertrand Russell