Human Nature

All too often we find evangelical atheists denouncing the evils of religion. Attributing much oppression and hatred, wars and genocides, to the great lie of religion, many people, not just atheists, find more and more reasons to loathe belief. More likely than not bringing up the discussion of religion in any group setting will result in someone voicing there “well founded” belief that religion is evil and stupid.

All in all, this silliness amounts to saying guns are solely responsible for school shootings.

Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. People, using a tool, introduce bodily trauma that forces a human body to go into some kind of shock, forcing it to die. Shock kills people. People induce that shock in others. A gun is the least of the problems in this equation-- A container of an explosion that forces a small piece of metal to eject at high speeds. Who aims the gun, pulls the trigger, willingly chooses to push trauma onto another, other than man?

Religion is much the same. Some choose to go on thousand mile marches to crusade against those who disagree. Others spend all their lives humbling themselves before God and choosing to do His good work. Some become moral-crazed lawyers that attack an industry which it sees to be the source of pain and sin in the world while claiming to do it in the service of God. Others work in orphanages, bringing affection and care to the helpless.

All the pain that “religion causes” is entirely dependent on the humanity of the practitioner. An unfortunate byproduct, it’s true, but something inescapable in a world of sin. Religion knows the flaws of humanness-- much is founded on that very concept. Christ came to forgive us our sins, to die for them, to sacrifice His blood so that the sinners of the world may find redemption. He, above all, knew.

Those with a bone to pick will find one. They can throw whatever they want at religion, call it all sorts of names. No matter what blame they assign where, however, there is no escaping their own nature. The very nature that brings about the atrocities they fight against.