Just a Few Bad Apples?

“Religious Fundamentalism and Cultural Relativism are the greatest threats to our humanity”

Sam Harris

Religion allows us - encourages us - to turn a blind eye - to excuse - the most vile forms of behaviour inflicted on innocent young non-consenting children. Some even celebrate these barbaric practices.

Slicing off parts of young boy’s and girl’s genitals - often with unsterilised ancient implements, without anaesthetic, by non medical people without any protection against infection.

Male genital mutilation we euphemistically call “circumcision”, “right of passage” or simply “bris”. Almost 50% of the population of Israel have been so mutilated. Some as young

as 8 days old, and in Turkey and indigenous communities as old as 12 years of age. Untold millions of young boys across the world.

For girls it is estimated 66,000 women in the UK alone have been abused this way, and UNICEF estimates that 200 million women across the world have been subject to this mutilation - most often by their mothers or female relatives.

But we look away. We excuse. “That’s their religion.” “Who are you to judge someone else’s culture?"

If people want genital mutilation at age 18 as consenting adults - let them be free to do so.

Is religion an idea that has passed it’s useful time and corrupted our humanity too much .....or, is it just a few bad apples?