If our religious leaders had only been willing to concede, step by step -- as we humans unearthed ever more information about this magnificent universe -- the superstitious parts that no longer made sense, that were no longer needed, religion could have become the most unifying and emotionally rewarding force for the good of mankind.
     When we gather in a church and listen to the hymns we can feel the empathy that such a social gathering can evoke. We can easily visualize that some ancient need of our species was to gather together and to reassure ourselves before the hunt, to encourage mutual cooperation and help.  Instead, this powerful force for unity has been turned into a justification to slaughter those who do not share our dogma. The  priest's exhortation to believe without evidence justifies almost anything.  What could have been the most useful tool of human culture has been turned into a breeding ground of bigotry and hatred.
   Let us cleanse religion of the fantasies and false claims that hold it back from truly serving mankind in a way that could bring peace and happiness to this world by encouraging our religious leaders to stop making claims they can not substantiate. These myths are no longer needed . We have enough knowledge about this world to get by nicely and all our mysteries now have to be manufactured out of whole cloth.. Yes ,we are part of something bigger than ourselves - it's called the Universe. No need to mystify things.
    Already some leaders are showing signs of honesty -- once a man stood on the moon the Pope conceded to Galileo and several senior scholars now admit that there is no real evidence of a historical Jesus. All it takes now is for us to convince our religious leaders to give up on the God idea and the claim that they have a franchise for getting you into heaven. I'm sure they, too, will feel better once they do not have to keep up the pretense.
    There is so obviously no afterlife. Time to put the myths to sleep and get on with this world. This is not a dress rehearsal. This is the only world we will ever know and this is the only life we we will ever have.Let's give up the ghost and get on with our lives. Seize the Day
 

                   Comments to: Andy