Saturday 10 January 2015

Charlie

Encountered on a remote beach south of Cadiz in Spain - 10th Jan 2015.

The above message in the sand really made me think about how the recent attack in Paris has affected and offended so many. We have had attacks by Islamic extremists before, notably in Paris, London, Madris, New York . . . but this attack seems to have struck a chord throughout the western world. The other attacks were cruel murders of innocent citizens but directed really against western involvement in the middle east in some way or other. This time the attack hit at the heart of the matter, it was a blatant attack on our basic ideals of freedom of expression.

It was outrage at a satirical take on the muslim prophet Mohammed.  And that really demonstrates the terrible potential in religion because at the root of most organised religion is a belief in an all powerful god, a belief that cannot be questioned, because by definition, god is boss and what god says goes. There is of course a wide range of  beliefs and most are harmless, indeed most are the source a tremendous good and give incalculable comfort to their followers. Sadly a few are at the other end of the spectrum and we see the results in the terrorist attacks that have become all too familiar over recent years.

Perhaps the time has come to re-assess the special place that religion has traditionally been granted in our society. After all, beliefs are just beliefs, and as such, almost by definition, are totally devoid of factual support. There is I feel no real reason in this modern scientific age why religion should be granted any special privileges or special respect. All belief should be as open to query and even ridicule, as should any other organisation. And religion, whichever flavour, can never be above the law. Which of course gets us back to the basic issue, that many sects will place their own belief system above everything else, including the law - a very logical stance from their point of view. So there is a fundamental conflict of interests here and something has to give. And I don't think it should be the freedoms that we in the west have come to expect as our right.

And perhaps the time has come also to also question the wisdom, in the UK, of using taxpayers' money to subsidise and encourage religion - in the form of faith schools. Schools that will do their best to indoctrinate the minds of the next generation with their own particular belief system. Hardly the best way to achieve an integrated society. At some time in the distant future the human race may well look back and wonder that the state actually encouraged what will by then be seen as a form of child abuse. How much better to start sending out signals that while the rights of individuals to practice a religion as a private activity, within the bounds of the law, are to be protected, it is not something to be actively encouraged. The traditional idea of god, a very useful invention that answered our questions in the long ages of ignorance (and it has to be said, a very useful control mechanism it was too, and still is in places),  has perhaps outlived its usefulness. We need to begin a winding down operation. The risks are no longer acceptable.

Move on mankind, wise up, move on.





  

No comments:

Post a Comment