"However, deemphasizing religion may be good for our exceedingly mixed societies. Religion by definition, must assert its superiority to others. therefore, it always going to incite people to hate others to think of others as lesser than themselves." The problem isn't religion--the problem is theocracy. Turkey is majority Muslim and has a secular government and is a relatively benign nation. Christian France, Spain, etc. during the days of the "Roman theocracy" was just as bad as any current theocratic Muslim state (remember the Inquisition, and decades of war waged on the nasty Protestants).
Absolutely, theocracy is the true issue. But, the US and our form of government is based upon biblical principals established thousands of years ago. We have become wise enough to recognize merging religion and government is a road to ruin. The Islamists are not yet that wise.
My concept goes like this: let us say I open a church, I preach about Jesus, but the guy across the street has a church too, and he preaches about Jesus too. How do I retain my followers, or even increase my market share. If I say to my parish that the guy across the street has a good church and his preaching is just as good, I will be shooting myself in the foot?
Therefore, by definition, I must tell my people that they are special, they are not as stupid as these guys who believe that God is a cow! These other idiots who worship statues of Mary? or these Jews will never go to heaven without Jesus, or we Jews are God chosen people, even though most of us don't even believe in him?
I hope I am making myself clear? I am simply saying that religion if taken too seriously is like the soccer fans who take their stupid game so seriously that they kill each other if they loose a game!
