There is a breathtaking amount of hypocrisy in this and other threads on religion
Ant religious body will resort to extreme and vicious behaviour if it feels the necessity and is in the position to do so - ask anybody who lives in a Catholic country.
Yet another row has recently broken out over a child (this time an 11 year old) being refused a termination of pregnancy on religious grounds.
Ireland is still in the throes of a sometimes vicious debate as to whether an abortion is permissible if the life of the mother is threatened and/or the birth is even viable.
The church's record on child abuse speaks for itself, and not just the Catholic Church.
Recently a leading politician in the north has become embroiled in a row over a colleague who attended the funeral of somebody who 'kicked with the wrong foot'.
Seven states in the U.S. prohibit anybody denying the existence of God from holding public office.....
The list is endless.
I have little doubt that these undisputed facts will be defended by cries of "they did it first" or "they all do it" or "they do it more than we do".... and other such facile irrelevancies, but the fact remains, until religion becomes a private choice by consenting individuals, persecution, abuse of power and privilege.... and everything that goes with 'established and State religion' will remain a grim fact of life, whatever the particular brand-name of the product.
Jim Carroll