http://religion.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/02/religious-conflict-or-retribution/ The World Affairs Blog Network Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:21:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 http://religion.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/02/religious-conflict-or-retribution/comment-page-1/#comment-643 Kurt Niece Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:47:40 +0000 http://religion.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/02/religious-conflict-or-retribution/#comment-643 I believe it's time to dialog on the role of religion in the 21st century. There's a basic incongruity. Fundamentalist belief systems have no place in an enlightened, technological, literate culture. It's my contention that religious fundamentalism is both an elephant in the living room and a bull in the china shop. Daily, we hear of an egregious act perpetrated for the sake of an inflexible religious conviction, yet we as a society tend to ignore the root cause: intolerance. I honestly feel it's time to divest ourselves of the notion that inflexible dogma is tolerable, for in addition to being a bull and an elephant, religious dogma is also a sacred cow. I don't believe that God ever expected "faith" to be the suspension of reason. "The fear mongers were gone. Those who had abused their faith to hammer others, to wage war, to profit, to support and to further prejudice were all gone, and in their wake a peace descended on the earth" I believe it's time to dialog on the role of religion in the 21st century. There's a basic incongruity. Fundamentalist belief systems have no place in an enlightened, technological, literate culture. It's my contention that religious fundamentalism is both an elephant in the living room and a bull in the china shop. Daily, we hear of an egregious act perpetrated for the sake of an inflexible religious conviction, yet we as a society tend to ignore the root cause: intolerance. I honestly feel it's time to divest ourselves of the notion that inflexible dogma is tolerable, for in addition to being a bull and an elephant, religious dogma is also a sacred cow. I don't believe that God ever expected “faith” to be the suspension of reason.
"The fear mongers were gone. Those who had abused their faith to hammer others, to wage war, to profit, to support and to further prejudice were all gone, and in their wake a peace descended on the earth"

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