Religion isn't the problem here, and probably never was. The cause of all the death and misery commonly attributed to religion is, in point of fact, Fundamentalism. Not the prerogative of any religion, but present in all, this insidious process is concerned with the narrowest interpretation of the message, whatever that may be, and is the cause of the belief that "My view of God's wishes for the human race is the only true one, and he who does not agree does not deserve to live". Fundamentalists are dangerous precisely because of their belief that they are right, and they are present in every religion, great or small, as a poisonous minority capable of outrageous acts of violence. So we should not blame the vast majority of any religious movement, for the actions of a small group of extremists.

BTW. Anyone who knows a little of the history of the Romans (bless 'em) will confirm that they did incorporate the Gods of other faiths into their own rituals, probably on the basis that, in a tough world, it's wiser not to make more enemies than you already have.

Perhaps some of todays religious leaders might consider following a rather good example, but even that won't clean out the extremists. Like all vermin, I fear they may be indestructible.

Don T.