Religion has always been a source of conflict all over the world. Many people have died in its name, be it at the stake, at the hands of the inquisition or in wars.
Religious hate is being fanned again and the prospects for world peace have never been poorer.
The following dialogue is between two chimpanzees named Abu and Mabu: I use A and M to distinguish the speaker.
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M: Religion is another thing that humans are obsessed with. It and government are the two most debated topics.
A: What is religion?
M: Religion is a hard concept for us chimps to understand, and much more complex than government to explain. It seems that humans believe that there is something high up in the sky that keeps tabs on them. They call it god. And this god is everywhere and anywhere and is all-powerful.
A: Is this god the one responsible for lightening and thunder?
M: No. At first they thought so, but now they know better. The god that they talk about doesn't interact with humans when they're alive, only after they're dead. A lot of poor and destitute people need god's help, but their calls go unanswered.
A: After they're dead! Are you kidding me? When they're dead, they're dead! What else is there to it? Have they ever seen god?
M: No. No one has.
A: I don't understand it.
M: Neither do I, but humans believe that when they die, their souls go up into the sky and are received by god. The soul of a good human being will be given eternal life in a place they call paradise. On the other hand, that of a bad person will receive eternal life in a place they call hell.
A: Wait! Wait! Wait! You're throwing too many things at me. What's a soul?
M: I can't really explain it to you. Nobody has ever seen one, so nobody knows what it looks like.
A: What's paradise?
M: No one knows because no one has ever seen it, but they believe it to be the most wonderful place imaginable.
A: And what's hell?
M: Again, no one knows because no one has ever seen it, but they believe it to be the most dreadful place imaginable.
A: Do I understand you correctly? Religion is based on a god that can't be seen, but is certain to exist; a soul that can't be seen, but everyone believes they have one; a paradise that can't be seen that everyone one wants to get to; and a hell that can't be seen that everyone wants to keep away from.
M: You got it! But there's more. Not all humans believe in the same god!
A: If they can't see them, how can they tell them apart?
M: I have no idea, but they fight amongst each other in the name of their respective gods!
A: You're right. Religion is hard for us to understand. It's far beyond understanding! Humans are simply crazy apes.
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In creation we stand united, but in religion we stand divided!
Above everything else, we're human beings, not Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Shintoists, etcetera. Does it really matter what god's name is, or whether or not there is one, or more than one? Humanity is the glue that holds us together. Why can't we just be humans?
When the doomsday clock is moving ever so close to midnight, fanning the flames of religion is not at all helpful!
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The Crazy Apes: A Satire of Human Society
RandomA baby gorilla asks his father, "What are humans?" The father replies, "They are monkeys without hair, who believe they are masters of everything around them. They build shelters that go up to the sky. Their ego and greed know no limits and take fro...
