Same God, different logic
The Sept. 11 disaster was clearly a product of religious belief, yet few dare to condemn religion and lack of reason as the cause.
Historically, violence arises among religious societies because its members abandon reason to accept the core contradiction that is their “afterlife.” The Bible opens by rejecting “the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge,” thereby pre-empting reason’s development in its readers’ minds. Without reason, how is one to negotiate with one’s neighbor, except with a club?
Osama bin Laden worships the same God as Christians and Jews, but according to a different version of the holy texts. He just takes his bible literally: ” … Then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them …” (Quran, 9.5).
For centuries, it was unacceptable to condemn witchcraft’s contradictions. Today, media writers believe it unacceptable to condemn religion’s contradictions. It is time that changed.

Richard Bramwell

Milton, Ontario

Canada