Religion

Religion, in many ways, is like a penis, its ok if you have one and it’s ok to be proud of it, however it is not ok to tell everybody about it and it is definitely wrong to try and force it down peoples’ throats. 

Religion is the single biggest reason for division in the world and at times it appears that it would be simpler if everyone followed the same one, or alternatively if religion didn’t exist at all.  The vast majority of people in the world are secure enough in their own faith to not have to force it upon others but there are people out there who are so insecure that they feel they have to do whatever is necessary to get others onside.  They must think that if they are wrong, and they have indeed chosen the wrong God that that having a huge amount of recruits around them will soften the blow when God strikes down vengefully on non-believers.  Most of us wouldn’t dream of waging war upon others based upon which God(s) they worship.
The topic of faith rarely occurs in day-to-day conversation, it is somewhat taboo and causes people to address the issue in hushed tones, afraid of what others might say or if their words might cause the Muslim in the corner to detonate himself or the atheist mother to cover her child’s ears for fear that he might be poisoned by the mere notion of faith.

Let me set an example of when religion is used as a weapon that is a little closer to home than the middle-east.  The Old Firm derby is the pinnacle of the Scottish football calendar and features the only two professional football teams north of the border, Celtic and Rangers.  Celtic has a notoriously Roman Catholic fan base whereas Rangers’ supporters are from a Protestant background.  Up to 18 times a year this fixture takes place and the city of Glasgow is quite literally turned half green and white hoops and the other half a sea of blue; the dividing line is a luminous yellow colour as the police, armed with shields and batons attempt to control the rabid swarms of Glaswegians.  For the duration of the Scottish football calendar, and Old Firm fixtures especially, fans of both clubs will hurl anti-Semitic abuse at one another and swear their allegiance to their respective denominations in a show of pride and togetherness.  This rivalry and religious segregation is however mysteriously put on hold when the Scottish and English national football teams meet, when Scots as a whole focus their attention on hating the English. 

When all is said and done, there are more important things to judge a person on than their creed.  Religious tension is rife in our world, it dominates the news and strikes fear through communities the world over and what's the point? Without meaning to sound too dark, we're all going to end up in the same place eventually! As my mum always said, if you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.  

Here's a little video from the Hilarious Tim Minchin and his unerring view on Religion, its called 'A ten foot cock and a few hundred virgins' so it's worth a watch! Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpAeNZNd9IE