The pernicious thing about religious zealots is that they can’t merely be happy to experience their own zeal, but feel compelled to force their zeal onto everyone else. Here in the United States, Donald Trump is leading a movement of zealous Christians who want to use the power of the federal government to force all Americans to celebrate Christmas, even if they’re not Christians. Unless every American celebrates Christmas, they say, it’s a “War On Christmas” that violates their right to lord it over everybody else.
In Egypt, the zealotry is really kicking into high gear the Committee on Religion in the Egyptian Parliament is preparing legislation that will make it a criminal act to be an atheist. Egypt has already put people in prison on charges of blasphemy for saying in public that they are atheists. If the new law passes, it will be a crime merely to be in Egypt and not believe in any gods, even if you don’t tell anyone about it.
Tell me again about how religion brings people together. I love that story.
