Dear Reader,
The title I chose is not meant to insult. Its seemingly crass wording is designed to get people to think. Let’s look at some data and get some insight into the deadly influence of a major societal institution.
A )recent (Sept, 2021) PEW Research Center survey reported that about 58% of Americans believe in God as described in the Bible and about 50% of American Evangelicals believe that they have the one true religion and that Jews and members of other religions will not go to heaven even if they believe in God.
Please stop and think about those data. Since 1543, the start of the scientific revolution almost 500 years ago, modern society is still confronted by ancient thinking that hasn’t a scintilla of evidence to support it. That is a frightening thought.
I really do not want to rehash futile discussions about the existence of a God. Such discussions are ridiculous because there is no way to test any hypothesis. Everything is based on belief, faith - the acceptance of something to be true despite the lack of evidence or even in the presence of evidence to the contrary. Further, the thought of a a discussion of whether people will be going to heaven is laughable. Why? After thousands of years there still is no evidence of a heaven as there is no evidence of which members of which religion go to heaven. It is all opinion not based on fact. There is no critical thinking. In fact, critical thinking is discouraged. Therein is a major problem, i.e., modern religion is teaching the greatest anti-science and anti-rational concepts in the world. And, this false thinking is also deep in the culture and supported by the public schools.
Think of all the wars fought through the ages and all the people tortured, maimed and murdered in the name of religious, non-fact based opinion - beliefs. Think of THE GREAT HATE - Jew hatred, antisemitism - despite the Holocaust/SHOA running rampant throughout the world today and the silence of the world leaders, the media and moral leaders including the Pope and the Dali Lama.
If ever there is need for societal reform, the time is now starting with churches and the educational system.