In his Dec. 7 article "Religion can go to hell," Ken Ilgunas articulates his disaffection with people he regards as "religious fanatics." His examples of religious intolerance demonstrate the extent to which people impose their personal views on others, an act that is seldom justifiable.
Yet in his column, Ilgunas commits the same moral offence he so virulently deplores. His blanket statement that "religion can go to hell" implies that he has a right to be intolerant of organized religion in what seems to be a one-way relationship that borders on hypocrisy.
I would be the first to agree that there are people who are overzealously religious and completely intolerant of the beliefs and lifestyles of other individuals. At the same time, Ilgunas and others use vitriolic insults to make this very point, thereby adding fuel to the fire. It would be far more constructive if individuals at both extremes in this inflammatory debate would work to reach an understanding of and respect for each other's beliefs. To do otherwise would be a disservice to society.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
