Friday, January 19, 2007

A Modest Proposal

With apologies to Jonathan Swift.

What if it were possible to prevent adults from imposing any religion on children? Once reaching adulthood, they could - if they desired - declare themselves a member of the superstition of their parents or any other.

Or none at all.

Imagine if the followers of Fred Phelps were unable to expose their children to their religiously inspired hate?

Imagine if imams were unable to call for children to become martyrs in jihad?

Of course there is no more chance of this ever happening than of the Irish eating their children during the early 1700s. But imagine the difference it might make in our world.

And while you think of Swift and Lennon, I leave you with Diderot:

Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.

No comments: