Religions share common root yet destroy each other in God’s name

Religion must be a continuing source of scandal to non-believers and believers alike when they see the atrocities committed by one group against another claiming the blessings of God.

Yet Christians, Muslims and Jews share a common heritage but this has been forgotten while difference has been accentuated. No one religion can claim immunity from the use of violence or discrimination. Each were oppressed and then became the oppressor. Since 70 AD when the Jews were evicted from Palestine they became a targeted group and suffered annihilation in the Holocaust. In turn, Israel has no compunction in using violence to suppress Muslims or Christians. Christians also destroyed the lives of the indigenous people of the ‘New World’ in the name of religion and use the utmost cruelty against early reformers during the Inquisition. Some Muslims continue to bring Islam into disrepute by their indiscriminate violence in the pursuit of political objectives yet the irony is that all three religions have toleration, love of God and neighbour as foundation texts. But as Ghandi observed ”As soon as we lose our moral foundation we cease to be religious”.

When human beings become ancillary to religion and not treated as persons of infinite, inalienable respect, irrespective of religious belief or not, then religion becomes a contradiction. Religion should enhance the lives of human beings – anything else is an insult to God.