Religion divides more than it unites

The Mideast conflict is only one example of people killing in the name of religion.
By GEORGE CHAVEZ
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
If Superman were to walk into a bar, would he laugh at the crowds gathered to greet him? Would his godlike appearance prompt the crowd to fight over the correct color of his cape and style of his hair?
Would they notice after years of argument that Superman had perished under the confusion of specifics? Would they notice that he separated them more than any other issue?
Metropolis is a difficult place to live in. Lies tower over truth, and corruption climbs the corporate ladder. Villainy finds a home in the house where heroes once dwelled, and quiet kindness goes by unnoticed.
So, how does one begin to believe in a comic book character? How does a world base its progress on such fiction?
The civilized plant their beliefs upon religion and on the doctrines of God. They live their lives in the pursuit of pleasing a deity they might never see. And with each conflicting religion comes the damnation of another soul.
The calling of the Christian missionary sets the stage for such a conflict, in which the unsaved souls of an unenlightened country must be brought into the light.
Forcing beliefs on others
As a young religious dissident, Richard Reece, a student at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory in Hollywood, Fla., said, missionaries tend to "worry more about believing what is right than doing what is right."
What if the Christian missionary had never set foot in the "primitive" world of another culture? Would the natives then be sent to a circle of hell beyond our grasp once they die?
The answer lies in one's simple respect for another's beliefs, not in one's relentless quest to "win over souls."
Religion also is used to facilitate violent actions, such as in the Middle East.
The Arab-Israeli conflict rages on. With their weapons at hand, each side has used religion as an argument to claim the land at one time or another. It is a continuing conflict sustained by stubborn hearts and arrogant faith.
If Superman laid his eyes on the city of Metropolis, he might shake his head at how trivial the plight of religious superiority is. He might laugh at the fact that we fight over the interpretation of his will.
And he might smile upon remembering that he was only a story.
XGeorge Chavez is a student at Chaminade-Madonna College Prep in Hollywood, Fla.