Religion always seems to undermine peace

Nikolas D. Skalkotos, Las Vegas

Sunday, June 7, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.

I found President Barack Obama’s Cairo oration to Muslims a historic, beneficial and effective diplomatic approach to mending fences. However, being fully aware of the religious fanaticism that has in the past prevented humanity from having coexistence, love and peace, I have doubts about its effects on our dangerously divided world.

Religion, which I consider as destructive as ancient-times politics, has forever been and still is the root cause of most world problems that haunt us to this day.

Hostile acts such as wars and animosity have been deeply rooted in groundless religious beliefs that offer to the unaware, naive, insecure and uninformed the certainty of spiritual confusion, the emptiness of which cannot be grasped by the gullible public.

Consequently, fear, ignorance, insecurity, instability, suspicion, fanaticism and exploitation as well as naiveté and stupidity are some of the factors that keep religions guiding their believers to follow blindly.

Although I am not in a position to ascertain the sincerity of the president’s oratory, his transparency is an unparalleled and long-needed improvement. I only hope that “we the people” wake up soon and adhere to the separation of church and state.

So, it is totally up to us to vigorously remind our politicians that they are here to serve the people and not themselves by submitting to special interests.