When Lukretius (his full name was Titus Lucretius Carus) wrote his book "On the nature of things"
(in the first half of the last century B.C.), he already blamed
religion for obstructing human rationality with superstition, believing
dogma rather than believing observations and misguiding our entire life
towards fear of death rather than joyful anticipation of the real world.
Making religion responsible for so much evil in the world (Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum),
he was mainly referring to the ancient roman faith, which was notorious
for not only prefering superstition against rationality, but also
promoted sacrificing animals and even human to please their gods.
- Lukretius: On the Nature of Things (translated by H.A.J.Munro), London 1886, H.Routledge & Sons Ltd
Would
Lukretius have ever forseen, that centuries later masses of mentally
blind-folded people followed the papal "call of duty" to raid the
non-christians during three crusades. Would he believe, that again and
again warmongers could rely on the churches to praise the million-fold
killings on the battle-fields. Would he believe that at the beginning of
the 21st century, despite free education and an era of enlightment,
young people from civilized societies follow islamic preachers who order
them to kill and destroy everything that is not in accordance to some
anachronistic holy writings.
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