by Paul Schingle

Created on: June 28, 2009

For some, the answer is so obvious we might say, "Do you even have to ask?" Others may be more compassionate and forgiving stating that there's nothing wrong with religious faith, per se. I probably fall somewhere in the middle. Any individual who has a strong belief in a deity without proof (the definition of faith) may be just fine. The problem with religious faith as a whole is that it divides rather than uniting. It creates an "us versus them" attitude. On a larger (societal) scale this can cause more than just problems-it can lead to mass death, destruction and mayhem. Whether one believes in the Judeo-Christian God or in Allah or in the pantheon that Hindus believe in, somehow that faith gives believers license to hate, to destroy and to kill.

The obvious problems caused by religion are not so much caused by faith itself, but by religious fundamentalism. Osama bin Laden has convinced his followers that, in order to do God's will, they must engage in Jihad. Death is the only righteous outcome to non-believers. And, if you have to commit suicide in the process, well, that makes you a martyr. Funny how Osama himself never attaches a backpack full of explosives to his own body and takes himself out with a bunch of infidels. I guess someone's got to lead, though.

And, before any Christians out there start acting all high and mighty and holier-than-thou, let's not forget their bloody and tearful history. Does anyone remember reading about the Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition? The Catholics are among the most hypocritical of all the religions, but let's not leave protestant evangelicals out, either. It was only a couple weeks ago that a "pro-life" advocate went into a church (to add to the irony) and gunned down a Kansas abortionist while the doctor was performing his usher duties at the aforementioned church. And this was because he viewed abortion as murder. Right. No hypocrisy there.

The point of it all is, religious faith, in and of itself is fine for the individual. But, as is inevitably the case, religious fundamentalism leads to a belief that it's "my way or the highway." Many church goers attend church because of the feeling of community involved with that particular activity. But, communion and unity are often thrown out the window when fundamentalism takes over. What was meant to unite now divides-and the whole purpose of religion is skewed into some unrecognizable form of group think. Religious faith becomes exactly what it purports to discourage. It becomes more about hate than about love.

So, how does religious faith cause problems in society? When religious faith becomes fundamentalism, it discourages individualism and encourages hate, divisiveness and, ultimately, death and destruction. This, to me, is a big problem for society.

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