dimossi

This <a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/GoodMorningAmerica/GMA030226Yates_preacher.html" target="_blank">story</a> about the Yates family and their 15 year long following of the zealous street evangelist is a HUGE wake-up call.

It is another tragic case of religious zealots victimizing the gullible. What will it take before people realize that there is an extreme lack of skepticism, critical thinking, reason, and rationalism being taught, learned, and applied by the general public? How about the death of 5 innocent children? How about the death of thousands in the WTC attacks? How about the almost daily suicide bombings in Israel? How about the ongoing battle between Protestants and Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland?

In all of these cases there is unnecessary violence and death. What fuels these preposterous acts? Hate intolerance, and delusion. All of these perpetrators have the common belief that they have some exclusive access to absolute truth. How did these beliefs arise? Tradition, appeal to authority, and/or presumed revelation. Can any of these reasons for unquestioning belief be excepted when it results in death and suffering of innocents?

Many dogmatic faiths and religions frown upon doubt and skepticism. It is obvious that followers of these religions feel threatened by any kind of thorough examination of their associated dogma. But skepticism, doubt, and critical thinking can save lives.

What if Russell and Andrea Yates had been skeptical of the street preacher that constantly preached about the possibility of the Yates children burning in hell? Might then these 5 children still be alive today?

What if the WTC terrorists had doubted that they would be rewarded with 72 virgins in heaven for killing thousands of infidels? Isn't it possible that they might have aborted their mission and thus thousands still be alive today?

There are multitudes of examples such as these. How many more will it take before we come to our senses?

The tools are there. The tools are: skepticism, critical thinking, reason, and rationalism. Tools that threaten fundamentalism and intolerance. Tools that can extinguish hate and save lives.

christ-on-a-stick

I couldn't possibly agree more.

That is all.