reconciliation

There is an old saying, “To err is human, but to really mess things up, we need a computer”. To that word of wisdom, we might add “or religion”. Religion adds another dimension to conflict. If we are going to have a fight, we must perceive a distinction between us and our enemy. This distinction may be on that basis of any attribute we can think of - skin colour, dwelling place, or economic status, but religion is the best reason of all for a punch-up because religion defines our existence not just in time, but for all eternity. This sometimes gives us access to superhuman courage, as when martyrs chose death by burning rather than to deny their beliefs, and also, sadly, access to superhuman cruelty at other times.