A Disgusting Hypothetical Religion
Religions should only be permitted when there is right to freedom of choice in religion, and when they do not discriminate, are not imposed on others or otherwise deny people equality, dignity or other fundamental rights.
Please consider the following scenario. What if a new religion were to be established tomorrow, perhaps in the United States of America, or maybe in post-apartheid South Africa, and an inspired person drafts a religious text that reflects the perfect views of their new and perfect God (and it seems most religions need to have a god or two to be competitive, but there are exceptions). The newly drafted religious text includes the following verses attributable to the new God
- A white person should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a white person to teach or to have authority over a coloured person; the white person must be silent.
- Any white person who is arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the priest who represents your God must die.
- A white person who works on God’s holy day will be put to death.
- If a person has sex with a white person, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own hands.
The above verses are racist, abhorrent and disgusting. They deny white people rights. Reference could have been made to a 'black person' or any other group to highlight the point that any discrimination is wrong. Such a religious text would be treated with the contempt that any racially discriminatory text deserves. The proponents of the new religion would say that God moves in mysterious ways or that the text is not meant to be taken literally. Neither explanation conceals the underlying racism.
The astute observer would realise that these verses have been extracted from the Christian Bible and reworked to substitute the phrase ‘white person’ in biblical verses that condemn women, non-believers, a person who works contrary to God’s laws, and homosexuals[1]. If the newly drafted religious text is disgusting, then so is the Christian Bible, with its racism, sexism, religism[2], homophobia, and particular nastiness. However, Christians do not seem to comprehend that the Bible represents the uneducated and far from enlightened views of primitive people, and serious belief in such discriminatory values is unworthy of civilised society, and a modern, secular and progressive world.
The right to freedom of belief is important. However, if belief systems, including those in the mainstream religions, deny other people their rights and are channeled through organised religion that involves discrimination and the imposition of primitive ethical values on others, then these belief systems are unacceptable. Religion that discriminates and imposes itself on other people should be considered similarly to a newly drafted religion that discriminates against white people: unworthy of a following and worthy of contempt.
By allowing discriminatory religions to flourish, countries are effectively condoning discrimination. A new religion that discriminated against white, black or other persons would be no less discriminatory than mainstream religions such as Christianity and Islam. Discriminatory religions must not be allowed to exist.
[1] 1 Timothy 2:11-12, Deuteronomy 17:12, Exodus 35:2 and Leviticus 20:13 have been reworked to substitute the phrase ‘white person’. Numerous other biblical verses are disgusting because of their primitive ethical commentary, discrimination against women, homosexuals and non-believers, and advocacy of slavery and sacrifice. Many verses are also scientifically ‘wrong’.
[2] This word is taken to mean discrimination against people of different religions, belief or non-belief systems.