| Of all religions the Christian is without doubt the one which should inspire tolerance most, although up to now the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men. -- Voltaire |
Now to the root of the matter:Gore Vidal does need to be corrected on one point - it has not been 2000 years - more like 5000. It is this type of religion that I see around me most. Perhaps if I were surrounded by Hindus or Budists or Confucians or even Unitarian Universalists I would not be writing this section. Perhaps I would.
The great unmentionable evil at the center of our culture is monotheism. From a barbaric bronze-age text known as The Old Testament, three antihuman religions have evolved, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These are sky god religions. They are literally patriarchal. God is the omnipotent father. Hence the loathing of women for two thousand years in those countries affected by the sky god and his earthly delegates. The sky god is a jealous god, of course. He requires total obedience from everyone on earth, as he is in place not just for one tribe but for all creation. Those who would reject him must be converted or killed for their own good. Ultimately totalitarianism is the only sort of politics that can truly serve the sky god's purpose. Any movement of a liberal nature endangers his authority and that of his delegates on earth. One god, one king, one pope, one master in the factory, one father leader in the family at home.