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• Friday, October 3, 2008 10:14 AM

  @jamiso

  Is it that much harder to say Those no good Francophones, untrustworthy Anglophones or thouse ignorant Southerners, or elitist Northerners?

  Tribalism is the nature of humans, and religion is a convenient tribe when in doubt, but it's no more usefull than any of the other tribes that we manufacture.

  Certainly American Whites invoked God to justify their opression of African Americans, but do we really think that had they just all been atheists that they would have gotten along just fine?

  In truth, as religion tends to move beyond genomic expression and regional difference (at least in our modern world) Religion acting as a super-tribe can bring peace to waring peoples.

  Though by no means a nobel example, think of the peace that might yet be achieved between Arab and Persian under the banner of Shia Islam? And if despite being unified by faith, the tribal differnces between Arab and Persian proves more than religion can overcome, then what do we say of the great evil that is religion then?

  Religion is a tool man uses, and like any tool it can be used for good or for evil, and the choice to use it as such is man's responsibility.

  Religion may not be necessasary for man, but before we toss out the baby with the bathwater, perhaps we should ask why such a ubiquitious trait evolved, why it persists, and what purpose it serves to help further our species.

  So much of the debate about religion follows an all good or al evil discussion, and neither is adequatly correct. But a real conversation on the topic can't go forward until we all admit we aren't fully right.

  —Clockwork Smurf Read Clockwork Smurf's other letters
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