RESPONSE TO HAMID MAHMOOD

Submitted by DANIEL REDMOND (United States), Jul 5, 2007 at 04:54

Dear Mr. Mahmood: You are really "barking up the wrong tree"---as we say here in America---when you try to convince me of the relative positives or negatives between Christianity and Islam.

I am not a believer in deities. No deity, no god, has ever shown himself to mankind and none ever will. Allah, Kali, Vishnu, Brahma, the Christian god and all other gods are imaginary non-existent beings invented by the minds of men out of a primitive need for belief in an infallible leader. Religions that follow these imaginary beings and incorporate them as cornerstones of their belief systems are spreading false promises and delusional beliefs to their followers.

Religion has caused more pain and suffering to humanity than any other human invention. When injected into human conflicts religion is like tossing gasoline onto a fire. It has an incendiary effect on hostilities and anger. Christianity, although now a more benign form of religion than Islam, has a long history of violence and persecution. Islam still preaches the violent overthrow of non-believers. Hinduism has relegated approximately 160 million people in India to the status of "Untouchables" with no basic human rights due to religious bigotry. Nowhere has religion ever had a net positive effect on humanity. I doubt that it ever will.

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