- Top Features:
- War Room
- Glenn Greenwald
- Broadsheet
- Joan Walsh
- Camille Paglia
- Since You Asked
- Follow Salon:
Read other letters about this article
I respect Mr. Mahers quite a lot, but I think he undermines his arguments by presenting such a one-sides viewpoint.
For example, he argues that religion is responsible for pretty much all the violence in the history of the world. Look at history: the greatest incidences of mass destruction of human life in the 20th century was caused by racism and/or a desire for power. Even in centuries past, religion was often (not always, but often) used as an excuse to mask the desire for money or power when a country or group wanted to engage in conflict.
Religion certainly has led to violence, no doubt about it. But the fact that an idea or belief is sometimes misused does not render that idea or belief in valid. Look at the idea of democracy: many of our current problems in the US stem from the belief that democracy is such a superior system that we must spread it everywhere. Because some people mistakenly have acted on the idea that we must democratize the world, does that make democracy a bad idea?
