Dear Yuyutsu,

Hinduism can make pleasant sounds of tolerance. Its record of such atrocities as suttee and its present record of intolerance toward Muslims and Christians belie those words. Modi does not preside over an enlightened and tolerant country. He has offered asylum to refugees with the proviso that they are not Muslims. For Hindu atrocities against Buddhists https://velivada.com/2017/10/31/hindu-violence-buddhism-india-no-parallel/

Buddhists have a record of intolerance in Sri Lanka toward the Tamil minority.

Hinduism is not too different from war prone Christianity under the banner of the Prince of Peace. Domination of a country by religion often results in intolerance and violence. Nazi Germany carried out the ultimate expression of Christian Jew hatred.The present State of Israel is moving away from democracy.

Many religions with a history of violence have those in their ranks who condemn the violence. They usually are voices crying in the wilderness. In general religion stinks.

The elimination of religion would not inaugurate an era of peace, but it would remove one cause of intolerance, violence and persecution..

Dear David F.,

These terrible tribal practices that you describe and I mourn too, are not religion, but mostly derived by nationalism, then also by greed.

I have already explained to you time and again why that is so, but it seems that you have no interest and/or patience to hear me on that matter, so I shall leave it at that.

Dear Yuyutsu,

I get a bit tired of your assertions that religious practices that you don't like are not religion.

Religion stinks.

Hi David,

What is it in organised religions or within people that makes some adherents act contrary to the stated principles of the religion? There must be factors that are of greater influence than these principles.

Dear Paul,

It's not complicated. Religion is somewhat like any other commodity that's hyped. The advertising is full of lies, and the reality, unlike other commodities, is explained away as God has his purposes which you don't understand.

Unlike commodities under control of ethical constraints, you don't get refunds for an unsatisfactory product. If you don't meet your beloved parents and Aunt Matilda after you die you don't come back to complain.

Religion generally blesses the efforts of the military in each country. If, like Franz Jaegerstatter, a heroic Catholic, you feel what the Nazi government is doing is wrong, 'responsible clerics' try to persuade you to support the government. Eventually Franz was beheaded, but since the Nazis lost the war he may be made a saint.

In other businesses you get refunds if the product is unsatisfactory. Churches, mosques, synagogues or temples don't give refunds, but they may dole out part of the takings in charity.

It's a very effective business model.

Dear Paul,

«What is it in organised religions or within people that makes some adherents act contrary to the stated principles of the religion?»

So many people are attracted to all kinds of powerful organisations for all kinds of reasons, without actually having any interest to begin with in what these organisations stand for (or are supposed to stand for), in this case, religion.

Then even when one does have some interest in religion, there are many traps around in the form of swindling organisations which claim to teach and promote religion, but never do and teach whatever they want instead in the guise of religion.