Questioning religion

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Questioning religion

By New Internationalist Editorial

15-01-09-goodbye-god-590.jpg

© Sean Michael Wilson/Hunt Emerson

The murders at Charlie Hebdo are shocking. We are a small independent publisher. We think it’s important to show alternative views on world events. And we have printed cartoons that some people don’t like. We could be those journalists and artists who were killed.

But it makes us think. Now we are finishing an illustrated book about religion called Goodbye God? The book is written by Sean Michael Wilson and illustrated by Hunt Emerson. It begins by saying we should not teach creationism in schools – this is common in parts of the US but also in some British schools, particularly now the government allow religious-based free schools. But the book then says we need science and humanism. It is against all religions, and uses a lot of humour.

This book contains no representation of the Prophet Muhammad. And it is critical of all religions - Christianity, Judaism and Islam. It concentrates more on religions with one god than the many Eastern religions.

The book questions the basis of religious faith. And it says that religion is a negative, not a positive force in the world. The American Humanist Association and the British Humanist Association support the book.

Lawrence M Krauss (US scientist and campaigner) wrote a foreword for the book. He emailed the writer Sean Michael Wilson just after the tragedy in Paris tragedy to say ‘It is important not to be silenced by this’.

At New Internationalist, we feel the same.

NOW READ THE ORIGINAL: http://newint.org/blog/2015/01/09/questioning-religion/ (This article has been simplified so the words, text structure and quotes may have been changed).