The first question that assailed my mind after watching the magnitude of human and material disaster that befell Haiti was: “Is God a disaster or or architect of disasters ?“ Spontaneously, I answered: No!. God, for me, cannot be a disaster when God (He or She or It) is the source of a free chosen belief. But it can become a disaster, most especially, when people start to missuse their belief or the belief of others because of greed, eagerness for power or repression.
So many ‘disasters’ have happened and, indeed, are happening around the world because many are using God and God’s name to wreck havoc on others. What about the crusades, the inquisition, the dispossession of natives like Aboriginies, the fate of the Red Indians and in Africa, today where many are surviving on witch-hunting? It is awful to know that religions are often used as tool for putting pressure and inflicting violence on other people. How many persons are already influenced through fake promises and “godsent” miracles?
But is it always due to illiteracy, bad education conditions or simply living status of many of victims of religious victims? I doubt. I know that people with less opportunities of knowledge acquisition and education get faster into the trap of irrational and fake beliefs, but that would also mean that people with more access to knowledge and education are coming out of these “devilish” circles. But is that the case? It isn´t that easy. The worst and most powerful disasters have been promoted by educated mankinds, most especially leaders with brainwashing methods. God is not the disaster, it is what mankind have done and are doing with the belief.
So, where do we stand as humanists? Are we just observers? Are we opposed to everything related to religion and supernatural beliefs? Our world is not black and white, so we cannot paint it just in two colours.We will always find people on both sides, who are more strict and negative against the others, but to criticize religion and results which are marked through religious belief does not object a personal belief of mankind. It is our task to raise awareness in fields of abuse related to human rights defense. To make people think about actual situations and supernatural powers. But is it not our task to choose which kind of lifestyle and way of confession is the best for all. We can decide this for ourselves, we can discuss this with our friends, family and surrounding, but we cannot force another person into the same direction, which seems to be the right one for us. That, the ideal of free choice, is that which all humanists hold dearly and strive to promote.
Silvana Uhlrich