Is religion the answer?

[Niles]

See the following letter to the editor in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, 6/24/2010:

Religion offers safe, trusting community
Jun 24, 2010

A June 20 letter reads, “The path to morality leads away from religion not toward it. That is one more reason more informed, moral people are turning away from religion.”

I wonder at the efficacy of eschewing the wisdom from the world’s religions and starting all over again in our search for morality. Religion, culture, science, politics and even reason/logic have been misused to express hate, start wars and engage in terrorism and genocide. People can misuse or manipulate any idea or belief to justify any harm.

All the world’s major religions advocate the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Should we toss out this belief? Logic and reason, while crucial, offer only some of the “answers.”

We must also explore our hearts as we make decisions, use our resources, and live in the world. And we need community to help us as we explore.

Religion and religious community can offer us an opportunity for deep introspection. They offer us a community, so we don’t become so narrowly focused that we can justify however we choose to behave. As the world becomes more complicated and our decisions have greater impact, we need trusted communities in which we may explore what we think and feel and believe.

The Rev. Tom Capo
Peoples Church
Unitarian Universalist
Cedar Rapids

The letter above, is in reply to the letter below:

Moral people turn away from religion
Jun 20, 2010

A June 9 letter said religion “is our only guide to decency and morality.” It is one of religion’s many outrageous lies to claim a monopoly on morality. There are secular guides to morality, and they work far better than religious ones.

Just consider the countless, incessant plagues of religion-inspired hatred, oppression, violence, war, terrorism, genocide and numerous other religious horrors. Then consider the lack of such atrocities by secularists.

The path to morality leads away from religion, not toward it. That is one reason more and more informed, moral people are turning away from religion.

Robert Green
Cedar Rapids