"Would the world not be a better place without religion"?

No

No more than the world would be a better place without homosexuals.

Or that the world would be better without, say, folk music!

Religion in itself is not bad. It's just a different way of living

Homosexuality is not bad. It's a different way of loving.

Neither are practiced by everybody and neither would suit everybody, obviously, but that is no excuse for not accepting those those that do.

The major difference, as I see it, is that one can choose to be religious and which religion one follows. Homosexuality is not a choice. It is 'merely' one form of innate sexual behaviour, not just in humans, but in many other animals. One that, in humans, can be intenseley loving as anything experienced by heterosexuals. Surely to love someone, each other, and ourselves, is all a part of the human condition and is far better than hating. I am not talking about just sexual love here but the love of a person in all it's forms.

Love is also at the centre of what Christianity surely is about? God so LOVED the world that he sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ....". And Jesus said "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another". Jesus said "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". Love, love, love... no mention of hatred and killing each other over sexuality that is not a choice.

Jesus message was one of love and forgiveness, not hate and condemnation, and I never read anything issuing from his mouth that suggested we should judge anyone.

Life, with all its complexities and diversities, is so rich and wonderfully challenging that there is room for everyone as long as they are not hurting others. Religious or not, when we challenge love we challenge the very thing that might just seperate us from the other animals.... love, spirituality, and the ability to put things right that have been wrong for a long time.

Sorry to have 'gone on' but, in my humble opinion, there are far worse things to fear than homsexuality going on in our world. Live and let love.

mp