by Rob Dacosta

Created on: February 19, 2007

Worldwide there are more people who follow a religious faith than those that don't.

While many countries subscribe to the belief of separation of church and state it seems that nothing could be further from the truth.

Point to any country on the map and you will find a definition of this place by it's faith in one religion or another and only in former communist countries could you/ can you find the label of 'non religious', which is always assumed to be bad.

At the street level - where we common folk live - you find the expression of brotherly love, peace on earth and every sort of good will possible until someone professes to be agnostic, or worse a non believer. True, you are no longer stoned for this blasphemous admission, but you will nevertheless be automatically marginalized.

Holidays are influenced by religion. Goodness of soul, spirit or intention is determined by religion. Standing in one's community is graded by religion. Even taxes are determined by religion in some countries.

Object to any of these, or prefer another belief and the long arm of religious intolerance will strike out against you. It could be worse - presumably - in Muslim countries, but the truth is that even in the Christian world you will pay a price. Not the death or excommunication of the past, but there are consequences.

So yes, I do think that non religious people are discriminated against.

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