by Steve Taylor
There’s something very strange about religion. There have been recent appalling acts of terrorism, allegedly carried out in the name of religion. These attacks emphasize the recent findings of the Global Terrorism index, that religion has now become the main motive for terrorist acts. The report showed that the number of deaths due to terrorism increased by 60 percent last year, to 18,000. Additionally, it found that the number of annual deaths due to terrorist acts has increased five times since 2003.
However, we also know that some of the most virtuous and noble human acts are carried out in the name of religion. Many of the greatest moral reformers and activists in history were inspired by the principles of their religions, such as Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi and William Wilberforce (who fought for the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807). Although I’m not religious myself, one of the contemporary figures I admire most is Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who has spent his life tirelessly campaigning for justice and against oppression, and embodies the Christian principles of compassion and forgiveness to the highest degree. Continue reading