"If religions would demand peaceful co-existance on this planet, instead of promoting bigotry and ignorance, I would have more respect for them. Fools on both sides must come out of the dark ages!"

The tenets of all the world's religions demand peaceful co-existence with others, including those with whom one disagrees. The Ten Commandments say, "Thou shalt not kill." This is one of the foundations of both Judaism and Christianity. The Koran states that to kill one person is as if one killed the whole world. And there are good reasons why Jesus is called "The Prince of Peace." "Love one another," is hardly a call to battle, nor is "Love thine enemies." This is what is written in the scriptures of these religions.

Now, if only those who claim to be Muslim, Christian, or what have you, really knew what their religions actually call for--and abide by it--it would be a whole different world.

Oftentimes it's the so-called "religious" leaders who are primarily to blame. But the followers of these leaders share the blame, too, for not reading the Scriptures for themselves instead of allowing them to interpreted for them by some minister, rabbi, or imam.

Don Firth