Is religion evil?

Well, this is a little bit long one and also probably a sensitive one, but let see…

In the last couple of weeks, there is a huge debate going on in Israel regarding a possibility of having a gay parade in Jerusalem. Well, the parade is scheduled for the end of the week (as from what I understand have happened in the last 5 years), but this time there is a huge opposition to it from the religious communities in the city. The claim, shared by various religion representatives, is that Jerusalem is a holy city and gay relationships are such a huge sin that having the parade will contaminate the place. The things are kind of going out of control at the moment while ultra religious people (dare I say fanatics) are burning trash bins and tires, block highways, throw stones on the policemen and today even attacked the mayor. The police is afraid people will get hurt or even killed. The newspapers seem to be flooded with articles on the subjects and the talkbacks (got to love them!) flourishing with comments ranging from calls to cancel the parade and even expel the gays to having it at any cost and break the bones of everyone who will try to stop it. I also had a big argument with a friend about that matter and we kind of agreed to disagree. But it made me thinking…

The argument against the parade is the holiness of the place. It is claimed that the religious feelings are going to get hurt that much by holding that parade that is not justified to have it. And I keep on asking myself if the religious feelings are more important compared to civil liberties? How do we compare? For example, one argument I heard is that the religion is deeper rooted in our culture, it has history and thus people are more sensitive compared to the gays. Well, first I am not sure how true this statement is. In a similar fashion one can claim that secular Israelis are less passionate about their secularity and thus Israel should be turned into an absolutely religious state based on religious law only. Then, I still find it difficult to decide if a long lasting believe matters more than a basic right of a person to have a different sexual orientation. If I believe for hundreds of years that the earth is flat and it really hurts my feelings when people get out to streets to celebrate the fact that they were able to travel around the world, does it make my believe more valuable than their right to celebrate a different set of believes and behaviors? Another argument I hear is "Why in Jerusalem? Aren't there other places? Why not Tel-Aviv?" And, again, I keep on asking myself, isn't Jerusalem a capital of all Israel? If that is so, why one group of citizens can express their believes and ways of living in the capital, but another is not? How do we decide whose liberties are more important than the others'? Frankly, I fail to see a difference.

I have to admit that the last few weeks gave a lot of food for though about religion, or more precisely what it has became. I do believe the original idea was good, but the contemporary version, or at least the contemporary publicly presented version, is rather bad. For me, the main focus of the last week was of course the debate, or shall I say the fight, around the parade. A few days ago I also read Lisa's post about Australian Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilaly basically blaming the victims of the southwest Sydney gang rapes, for what happened. I do not understand that.

When I look at religion as it is represented today I see disrespect to women and impatience towards anyone who is different. I see violence, anger and blocked minds. I see abuse of originally beautiful values and I see masses – masses of people who are either being manipulated or have chosen an easy path of being told what to think. This is not kind of a religion I am ready to identify myself with or to support.

Of course, what I am doing here is a rough, and probably unfair, generalization. I've been discussing this with people and many have told that majority of people who believe are not that fanatic. And as a communication scholar I understand that media represent the extremes for they look better on screen. And still I keep on asking myself, why do all those who believe and keep their faith private and pure, do not speak? If they are the majority, how do they allow this bunch of fanatics abusing their religion? How do they allow introducing more evil and anger through this religion that they love and respect? I do not understand that…

I am sorry to admit, but it seems like religion has became a source of all the things we do not want in a modern, moderate, thinking, liberal and patient society. In a ways it has became a source of evil :(

Any thoughts?

P.S. Interesting, looking for articles in English to illustrate some of mine points, I saw that they are actually much more PC than those in Hebrew…