For the Love of God

I was talking to my friend Chelsea the other day. She is Jewish and I was asking her if she had a good Passover even as she was inquiring about how my Easter (I’m Protestant). I was interested in the details of the sedar she held at her home. She was interested in what I had given up for Lent. And that’s how people of different faiths should interact.

I have a cursory understanding of most of world religions. It’s interesting to me that there are at least two universal truths at the heart of every faith-based religion. One is that you should treat others as you would like to be treated. The other is that every day one should strive personally to reflect the best qualities of the deity in which one chooses to believe. So when does it become alright to demean people who believe something different? When does it become necessary to force your beliefs on your neighbors?

That happens when religion stops being a tool of spirituality and replaces it in order of importance. What you get then is a fundamentalist religious zeal that results in intolerance. That is the first step on the road to hate, bigotry, terrorism, war; and left unchecked, genocide. All for the love of God.

So if you find yourself searching your Bible, Koran, Torrah, or antiquated scroll to find evidence that your god hates the same people that you hate...then you're missing the point.