Whilever worshipping, or believing without evidence, is considered socially acceptable – a virtue in fact – these things will go on happening.

The late, sadly missed Carl Sagan hit the nail on the head in his last work, possibly the best defence of reason and rational thinking ever published, ‘Demon Haunted World’ – When you teach people not to think, not to doubt, not to ask probing questions, not to inquire, not to use their critical faculties, then society is at risk of falling prey to fraudsters, as well as those who want to destroy freedom.

We need to stop judging a person’s actions by their reputation. Never mind Abramoff, Haggard, and co, the same applied to the fanatical Albanian nun Theresa of Calcutta, treated like a goddess by the worlds rich and powerful, while her hospices were like death camps – according to those who worked with her.

Wayne is right, but didn’t go nearly far enough; we don’t get our morality from religion. There’s plenty of scientific evidence, after lengthy studies of other primates that back this up. ‘Do as you would be done by’ is in fact, written into our genes.

Arguably, when inspired by Christianity at least, good deeds are done out of compulsion – to evade a wrong action; or out of fear, from being monitored every minute of the day and night by a tyrant in the sky; or to expect a reward, in terms of eternal life. That is not morality, it is not an encouragement to be good for goodness’ sake. It’s blackmail: accept my message or go to hell. This is evil, Orwellian, Stalinist. And the notion that I can abdicate any responsibility for my actions, is appalling. Go on a killing spree, get a whitewash, pretend it didn’t happen and start all over again.

Teaching people that, without the supposed gruseome death of a man in Palestine (in fact he didn’t even die), I could not know wrong from right, is an insult to dignity. We deserve better than this.

And historically, human rights, and the associated advnaces in morality, have been secular triumphs – like the American Constitution – gained in spite of religious opposition. Otherwise look at the crime and sexual disease rates or human rights records in non-religious countries like Northern Europe, and compare them with deeply religious countries.

Wars fought over shortages of territory and resources are rationalized as a fight for the moral superiority of one tribe or culture over another, when parties decide that they cannot or will not share what is available.

How true……..

I have read your article in the Welland Tribune, regarding the difficulty of being Jewish at xmas time.
I am a Christian, but for several years have shared this perspective from a Jewish lady. Thought you would like to read it too.

“It strikes me as odd, how quickly the Christmas spirit turns on just after halloween, and turns off on January 2nd. Perhaps Christmas has just become an excuse to do, once a year, what we should be doing all year round: be charitable, connect with friends, and live life — have a good time. I guess I’m saying that I do enjoy the fringe benefits of Christmas without participating. The lights are lovely, the music joyous, the giving admirable. But it is nice to come home to the simplicity of the Chanukah candles.”