France, a fiercely secularist state where all religion is banned from the public sphere, was long isolated and berated for its staunch opposition to the laissez-faire of multiculturalism. Girls who show up in public schools there with the Muslim headscarf are suspended, as are teachers or any other employees in the public sector.If Mr. Sarkozy appeared to soften his understanding of official secularism, or “laïcité” earlier in his political career, even toying with the idea of affirmative action, he has recently scrambled to backtrack. He held a nationwide debate on “national identity” last year and earlier this year banned Muslim full-face veils like niqab, as well as the burqa.
Without religion, the Norway terrorist attack wouldn’t have happened. Without religion, George W. Bush (with the help of other religious fanatics) would never have become president, destroyed our economy, put us deep in debt, started two unwinnable wars, and deeply polarized our nation. Religion and right-wing radicalism are the root of almost all evil in our world. It’s hard to believe that in this day-and-age, with all the advances in science, that people still believe in the children’s fairy tails that are religion.
“With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.”
~ Steven Weinberg
