Monotheism

Somebody named Peter Watson (yes, I show my kultcherul igneranse) wrote a book and titled it Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, From Fire to Freud. Watson purports to chronicle the greatest ideas over the last two million years.

Deborah Solomon of the NYT interviewed him. (that link gets a PG warning for mild language and an R rating for rabid unreason). Among other things, she asked him to name the "single worst idea in history." Here's his answer:

Without question, ethical monotheism. The idea of one true god. The idea that our life and ethical conduct on earth determines how we will go in the next world. This has been responsible for most of the wars and bigotry in history.

The rest of the interview is pretty interesting and parts of it are positively funny.

I found the above article via The Carnival of Insanity at Rightwing Nuthouse. It was Tinkerty Tonk's entry (website is PG for some of our readers). You'll have to click on the link to see what she says about it. I think she meant it to sting, and it should. Good for her.

We wrote something along these lines in here and here. In an article "None Dare Call it Bigotry: Francis Beckworth responds to a November 04 issue of the NYT where "historian Gary Wills asked the rhetorical question, "Can a people that believes more fervently in the Virgin Birth than in evolution still be called an Enlightened nation?"

Beckworth's response is fantastic. Click on the first link to read more.