I’m going to take a break from the regular kind of writing I do on here to talk about something that has been bothering me for awhile.  I made mention of it a couple posts ago, but since this won’t go away and now that there’s some some people in Florida who are setting a new low to idiocy and intolerance I just need to put my two cents into the world.

For the most part, I’m a live and let live type of person.  I tend to come down on the side of individual freedoms, but I there are some areas where making laws to restrict freedoms are in the interest of the common good, and I’d like to believe that the vast majority of people have opinions that fall into this gray area.  There are very few strict anarchists and monarchists out there anymore, so that probably means you fall somewhere in the middle as well.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not a very religious person.  By that, I mean that I have no particular specific religion that I follow the doctrines of.  I believe in the goodness of mankind, and that all faiths all espouse the same general code of morality.  Whoever your prophet or savior, that individual was preaching the same thing: be good to other people.

If this is indeed the basic belief of every religion on the planet that I’m aware of, how can such intolerance exist between people who call themselves religious?

Indeed those who commit hateful acts in the name of their god are twisting and defiling their religion.  Whether it’s flying a plane into a building, burning Korans, launching a crusade, blowing up government buildings, or any other act of violence and hate done in the name of religion, it is only ever about trying to gain earthly power.

It takes no courage to commit an act of intolerance while brandishing the sword of religion.  It takes an incredible amount of courage to not hate someone who doesn’t believe the things you do.

I feel an incredible amount of pity for the group in Florida burning Korans, because even according to the laws of their own religion, when they are judged by their god, they will have to answer for committing such a hateful act.

I feel pity for those who commit acts of terrorism in the name of god, because even according to the laws of their religion, they will answer to a god that looks down upon murder of innocents and finds the taking of life hateful.

Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28).

Muhammad said, ““Keep to forgiveness, and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant.” (Quran 7:199)

To both of these leaders, there was no crime that was beyond forgiveness if the person was truly repentant for their actions.  And both would agree that the goodness of mankind can prevail over the evil only as long as we do not let hate and anger divide us.

Disagree with me if you want, but examine your own beliefs before you do.  I am not aware of any philosophy of life that believes the purpose of humanity is to divide and hate.