Tiny Dancer

Elton John suggests banning religion:

"From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

Seriously. Okay, so some of his beef is with the bible, I imagine, which condemns homosexuality as sin. And as we all know, homosexuals are being tortured and put to death left and right by Christians around the world. Okay, that sarcasm was a little over the top. How about this? Christians routinely picket businesses that employ homosexuals. No? Maybe Christians regularly vandalize the homes of homosexuals? Christians harass homosexuals in their workplaces? Okay, on occasion, Christians give homosexuals disapproving looks.

I don't believe that the Book of Mormon is true. I think that every word of it is a falsehood. Any suggestion that I should embrace Mormonism as the true religion is met with a polite "no." And yet, for some reason, I don't feel compelled to suggest that we start a petition to ban Mormonism. Why? Because I believe in religious freedom. And quite clearly, Mr. John does not. He's also not very knowledgable if he believes that Christianity turns people into hateful lemmings. I wonder if he knows any. The Christians I know are the most decent, kind and charitable people I associate with. I think Christianity had a great deal to do with the abolition of slavery. It also had much to do with the civil rights movement. Now, it is concentrating much of its efforts into stopping the holocaust of unborn human beings that is happening worldwide. I think that is quite compassionate.

Sir John needs to do some research. And I don't mean from 1200 A.D. He is right about one thing, though. There is an organized religion with a lot of antagonism towards gays. Actually, antagonism is quite the understatement. Sir John might want to turn his attention toward that religion. It is pounding on his doorstep.

le