Maybe you’ve read a statement like this atheist meme (a fake quote which the actor and former Saturday Night Live member never said), or someone has simply told it to you and you’ve nodded in agreement then went on with your life.
But does stating something so boldly make it true? I decided to do some research and soon discovered that it’s impossible to come up with a credible number of people “killed by religion”.
Here’s why: one website tackled the topic and concluded that in the history of this planet, more than 195 million people have been killed in the name of religion. That is a truly sobering, astonishing number.
Then I looked at what was included. The list includes:
- the 1990s Rwandan genocide (800,000 deaths)
- several hundred years of slave trading (14 million deaths)
- AIDS in Africa (30 million deaths).
What’s wrong with including these tragedies? Well, the first was tribal warfare, the second was horrific economic racism and the third was deliberate government ignorance and prejudice against gay people.
Did religion play a role in any of them? Possibly, but it certainly wasn’t the major factor.
But let’s set that aside and look at the bigger picture. That picture makes it clear: religion is an overwhelming negative force. It makes people judgmental, it creates an “us versus them” mentality and, in the end, it encourages people to think anyone not in their religion is inferior.
The inevitable result is Islamic terrorism (150,000 deaths since 2000, according to this same website), the Jewish Holocaust (six million deaths), the Spanish Inquisition (5,000 deaths) and more unspeakable horrors.
If you’ve visited Frank’s Cottage before, you might know where I’m going with this: leave behind the nightmare of religion and look instead to one man. Two thousand years ago, this man came to earth in physical form and, without a single act of violence against another person, He:
- physically and spiritually restored broken lives;
- proposed – and demonstrated – an entirely new way to live and love;
- sacrificed His life for the eternal good of everyone who follows Him, then;
- showed His ultimate power over death by coming back to life.
I’m talking about Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God. His mission – then AND now – is to replace religion with a life-transforming relationship with the creator of time, space and the universe.
That relationship, made possible through faith in Jesus, can bring hope, change and restoration to every person who decides to follow Him. Just as important, anyone on this planet can say yes to this relationship, no matter what they’ve done or not done. That includes YOU.
Interested in knowing more? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 