JEHOVA! JEHOVA! JEHOVA!

Woman gets gang-raped by seven men. Case goes to trial. Woman gets sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison.

A teacher’s students (aged seven) decide to name their class mascot Mohammed. Due to the fact she wasn’t a native of the country in which the ‘crime’ was committed and with consideration paid to diplomatic pressure, the usual sentence of 40 lashes and six months in jail was avoided: she will only face 15 days in jail for this heinous act.

Women presenters who wear make-up and do not wear a veil on Palestinian TV have been kidnapped and killed, and live in constant fear for “displaying their charms … and corrupting Palestinian morals,” as a spokesman of the Righteous Swords of Islam justified earlier in the year, adding, without a trace of irony, “if necessary, we will behead and slaughter to preserve the spirit and morals of our people."

The Vatican publishes a ‘scientific’ document that ‘proves’ that condoms have holes that allow the HIV virus to pass through, thus promoting the spread of the virus. This myth is propogated throughout the world by caring missionary nuns, priests and other well-meaning sorts, who are especially active in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this part of the world only 3% of the sexually active use condoms. One in three carry the virus. Two million people there died from the disease in 2007. It’s all the fault of contraception. “The fabric of African life … is threatened by … a contraception mentality,” as the Pope said, again, without a trace of irony, in a speech to African bishops in 2005.

Some of the less rabid reactions to The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins:

“I won't pretend to understand all this book, or even claim to have read it in it's entirety but what I will do is denounce this as not only the worst book ever written but the most ignorant, subversive and jaded book of the last century.”

“At the end of the day the world can explain away God till he returns for his own but it won't get rid of him! Neither will these people escape judgement one day.”

“A strong faith in the one true God does not command an open mind but faith in the bible - God's word. Sadly Richard Dawkins is a deluded and lost man who like anyone who enjoys and recommends this book is heading straight to hell.”

Again, no irony was present in these comments or in the context that surrounded them.

Publisher of The God Delusion in Turkey faces one year in jail for ‘insulting religious values’.

WHAT ABOUT OUR VALUES BEING INSULTED?

But it’s religion, the great untouchable. If the words ‘God’, ‘faith’ or ‘belief’ were not involved in this sham, you could say what you like. People’s points of views are attacked every day, but these points are not ‘sacred’ and are therefore legitimate targets. Lack of blind, ignorant faith in bigoted, superstitious belief systems obviously means you are lacking in other departments of your character too. You are, therefore, not worthy of any respect. Your point of view is worthless and should not be uttered. If self-consorship is not possible, you should be silenced.

Organised religion and the parroting pond-life it breeds are not harmless anachronisms that can be left to their own well-meaning devices. Their influence is as strong as ever, and is enhanced by our misguided passivity and silence. Our voices are not worthless because we do not participate in a patently nonsensical belief system that oppresses, represses and kills. Our voices are worth more, and you know that.

Atheists, agnostics and just those who are able to use their own judgement to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong need to start doing so, now! You are entitled to make this judgement call – they do, and they use a far more subjectively twisted irrationality in order to do so.

Whatever you may think, it is their view that prevails.

We are superior in numbers to them and we may not agree amongst ourselves on everything, but isn’t it time to stop hiding in silence, be proud, and fight against this thing that we (don’t) believe in?