No More Mr. Nice Guy!

I wish they knew how to quit religion

The death of Heath Ledger has brought the usual cast of extreme-right everyone-hating religiots crawling out from under their rocks. Not just ol' Leatherface Phred Felps and his clan of inbred hillbillies, but Christmas Warrior John Gibson of Fox Noise are demonstrating typical Christian love and charity. How charming.

This is the perfect example of religion as a tantrum. Muslims going berserk over cartoons and teddy bears, Bill O'Donohue getting his knickers in a knot over a movie that nobody saw, Jewish extremists, Hindu extremists... they're all overgrown children throwing tantrums. Why? Because they know they'll get away with it.

Every parent knows that when you indulge a child's tantrums, you'll get more tantrums and worse tantrums. The child will always push the envelope, trying to see how much it can get away with. And because of the taboo in our society against criticizing religion, because of the impenetrable force field of knee-jerk deference and unearned respect which constantly cocoons it, religion gets to be more of a spoiled brat all the time.

I think this is the main reason there is such a hugely disproportionate backlash against the handful of authors like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens etc. who refuse to play the game. The very virulence of the counterattack demonstrates what an unhealthy, dysfunctional situation we have when an oppressive, irrational power structure is declared off limits to valid criticism. It isn't just lunatic fringe assholes like the Felpsoids who exploit religion's privileged position; every religion can be a breeding ground for ignorance and fanaticism if protected from the disinfectant of sunlight.

If religion can't grow up and stop acting like a two-year old, it should die out altogether!