"I simply see religion as destructive."

Once again, the pigeon-hole labeled "Religion"—with all sorts of diverse bodies of belief crammed into the same space. The only religions that have any power to be destructive are those who usurp or assume secular power, the largest of which are certain groups of Christians, and certain groups of Muslims. But these certain groups do not represent all Christians or all Muslims. There are many religions that, specified in their core beliefs, are devoted to rather nondestructive activities such as meditation and contemplation—and service (including, I might point out, a number of groups of Christians, e.g., Benedictines).

I have already mentioned the Christian churches in my neighborhood that are doing all kinds of work in the local community relating to feeding programs and low-cost housing for the poor and homeless, and facilitating peace and non-violence programs, and, in general, doing things that need to be done that no one else seems to want to do. There is also a mosque some miles north of where I live, and a more peaceable bunch of people you will never meet. And they despair of others who claim to speak in their name, the same as liberal Christians do.

Whether you agree with the beliefs of either, or regard them with contempt, they both do a great deal of good in their communities, as prescribed by their beliefs and in their scriptures.

I may not share all their beliefs, but I certainly respect what they do, even to the point of participated some myself.

In fact, a lot of the good they do wouldn't get done if they weren't doing it, because nobody else seems sufficiently motivated to get up off their butts and exert a little energy in behalf of someone or something beyond their own narrow interests.

Don Firth