Religion, the Ultimate "Moral Compass"?

by Ron Valladao

June, 2004

 

Recently, during a conversation on religion and morals I was having with a friend of mine, I took the position that organized religion was not only unnecessary, but probably harmful.  To this my friend--whom I respect as an intelligent and thinking individual--responded, "but what about the children?  What kind of moral compass will they have?  How will they distinguish right from wrong?"

This immediately dismayed me because it is one of those thoughtless lines of reasoning akin to holding that the sun rises and sets. It also betrayed his utter disbelief that a human being is capable of reason and self-discipline without appealing to a deity that will either reward or punish.

The bible, both the old and new testaments, is rife with violence and brutality of the most immoral kind and all encouraged, commanded and blessed by this monstrous being called God. If religion in general and Christianity in particular is such a powerful moral compass, then why has it not worked? Ninety percent of all wars are in some way rooted in religious conflict and even those that are not will invariably be sanctioned by religious leaders of one or more factions, usually for political, social or other self-serving reasons. I hold that the brutal deities of the three monotheisms, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are sources of cruelty of a most sadistic kind and that introducing our children at a young age to this virulent superstition, all of course couched in the adjectives of all-loving, all-knowing, etc., is a form of abuse, brainwashing and totalitarianism.

For example, take a child who is disturbed and puzzled at the sight of a crucifix hanging on the wall, and he asks, "Mommy, what is that?" to which the mother replies, "Honey, that is Jesus. He died for your sins." And so it begins. From that tender age the child is made to believe he is guilty of something bad, a criminal, a murderer. Why? Because some ancient group of people needed a god (Yahweh) that couldn't bear the freedom of human beings. If the famous "seedless fruit" of Eden were not eaten, then how could man and woman choose?  Choose even to love this tyrant?  The child is told that this god is everywhere and sees all that you do and if you don't love and believe in him you will be punished for all eternity. So the All-good is equated with a pathological narcissism that negates reason and justice and employs brutality to achieve its ends.  This is how our notion of goodness is given birth. There is no need for a Grand Inquisitor in Rome. The inquisitor is firmly implanted inside ones psychological makeup and once there will carry out a terrorism of the most thorough and relentless kind. The human representatives of this deity have much to gain by this form of "education" and "moral formation." Absolute power and the ability to manipulate the masses who fear for their "immortal souls."

As the child grows, he or she will be taught that the slaughter of innocent animals to placate this Great Ghoul is not enough. He needed the torture, humiliation and death of his only son in order to evolve a sentiment of forgiveness. Further, in some versions of ritualistic worship, the child is made to participate in this perverse cosmic grudge by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus.

These primitive tribal and mythological superstitions powerfully motivate millions of 21st century human beings! Is it no wonder that we are on the brink of destroying each other and that antidepressants rake in millions each year? Would it not be more kind, more human, vastly more honest and productive to rear our children with a love of kindness and right for its own sake--for OUR OWN SAKE? Would it not provide for their future and happiness to spare them the unnecessary guilt and recrimination that comes with meaningless religious dogma. Would it not be better to save our time and resources ill spent in groveling before a Cosmic Criminal who proposes a boring, tedious paradise of monomania and channel these energies into the present life with its multiple sorrows and potential? Would it not be a lovely and liberating thing to free our children from the empty fears and grasping that these religious systems impose on their followers?

These religions create crimes that do not exist. They create matrices which give rise to division and violence and social discord. Do we really love our children? Then let us never chain them in the prison of these "great" religious traditions. Let us raise them with a sense of right and wrong based on reason and common sense. After that, let us take back our societies from the grip of snake charmers and charlatans who fatten on the fears and bondage imposed by the Grand Inquisitor within. We could save our planet. We could prevent a Christian president and his cabinet or an Islamic head of state from self-fulfilling the prophecies of destruction of their bizarre traditions. We could rediscover our humanity and fulfill our tenuous existence on this planet hurling through space and perhaps enjoy this life completely without any recourse to the imagined next.  So I echo the words of the great Ingersoll:

 

"The Bible is not a moral guide." "Any man who follows all its teachings is an enemy of society and will probably end his days in a prison or an asylum."

 

Am I anti-Christian? I most assuredly and readily must answer "yes."  But my disdain is unprejudiced and equal for all three monotheisms.

The Muslims, whom this administration has succeeded in angering, aren't in a position (yet!) to impose their immorality through the force of law whereas Christians are, and do.

I have no desire to persecute anyone but especially not Christians. Christians thrive under persecution. Under it's influence a powerful, masochistic ardor flowers. Numbers of hopeful martyrs step forward eagerly and the whole human race suffers their impatience for heaven. Yes, the fundamentalists, so intent on saving their souls and reaping the eternal rewards (i.e. their own pleasure and safety) seek martyrdom. They care not at all about how many other people might suffer and die in the process of fulfilling their spiritual aspirations. For Christians the final end seems frightfully monotonous. I mean how much reverential gazing can one engage in? Even Hollywood has a hard time holding our attention for a few hours!  For a Muslim, on the other hand, it means gaining a paradise and plenty of copulation with beautiful virgins. I must admit that, if the virgins were male, I might be sorely tempted. Gratefully, reason intervenes and I question, how does one copulate without a body? And I must add that, while virgins exhibit a laudable and appreciable hunger, a lack of experience and a certain ineptitude often fail to satisfy fully. But I digress.

I guess to be fair, one would have to assess each martyr as to the motivation of their desire. Perhaps there are some who hold that it is a noble thing to be willing to die for one's convictions. And then maybe there are those who would simply like to bypass the normal route to paradise with all of its absurd bowing, scraping and asceticism and who are hopeful that their ultimate sacrifice will bring them more opportunity for sexual predation in the hereafter than is currently available in the present. At any rate, perhaps it would be a greater kindness to assist them with their martyrdom than to attempt to proscribe their fanaticism.