Indoctrination and fear

I saw this as the topic for a feature in On Line Opinion and just had to comment.

Less than 50 years ago Christian religious observance was widespread and exposed us all to common ideas of what was right and wrong. It was reinforced by school curricula. With the decay of organised religion, and diversification of curricula, where do we as a community derive our views of right and wrong?

You must be joking.

Christianity has ideas of right and wrong?

Well perhaps, but it’s clearly diametrically opposed to what I, my family and my friends, consider right and wrong.

Religions, by definition, are immoral. Not amoral but immoral (adj. Violating moral principles, not conforming to the patterns of conduct usually accepted or established as consistent with personal or social ethics).

Both past and present conduct of religions and adherents, especially those in a position to display a moral example, have shown clearly that:

• intolerance of non-believers is guided towards either forcing their acceptance of whatever “god” is current ... or annihilation;
• that immoral behaviour, say pedophilia, conducted by adherents is OK because they're “of the chosen”;
• theft, rape, torture, destruction of culture, even genocide is OK when done for the “greater glory of god”.

We need go no further than the short history of Europeans in Australia to see direct evidence of this. To dispossess the people of their land, culture and life to “save their souls” is the height of ignorant, arrogant barbarism.

I'm still appalled and deeply ashamed of what was done by my forebears. And yet they were applauded by their “moral guides”.

Religions promote elitism, xenophobia, intolerance, ignorance and fascism (n. a governmental system with strong centralised power, permitting no opposition or criticism, controlling all affairs, etc.).

Religions encourage slavery, torture, murder, and unquestioning obedience to rulers, i.e. the church.