There is something which I’ve been mulling over for the last few days which I just can’t figure out. It might be slightly controversial, but I think I’ll just come out with it. Historically, black people have been persecuted because of the colour of their skin; gay people have been persecuted because of who they love; disabled people have been and are being persecuted because of our lack of ability. Of course I’m both simplifying and generalising quite a bit, but this is what discrimination boils down to: a difference from the perceived norm. The thing is, such features are an integral aspect of people’s identities: a black person can’t change the colour of their skin any more than I can suddenly stop having cerebral palsy.

The thing is, that is not the case when it comes to religion. Broadly speaking, a religion is a set of stories which one can believe in or not. Such beliefs are often handed down from generation to generation, but there is no inherent biological aspect to them. A person can stop believing or choose to believe something else if they want.

Why, then, are people discriminated against on the basis of their faith? Why would someone ostracise someone else because of something so superficial? Some of the most sickening crimes against humanity ever have been committed along such religious divisions. If they are so corrosive, why do we as a civilisation cling so fervently to such groupings, maintaining barriers between people which don’t really need to exist? After all, unlike skin colour for example, where there is no reason why white people and black people can’t get on perfectly harmoniously, to a certain extent at least religions are mutually exclusive: stating that one deity exists by definition negates all others.

Obviously discrimination in any form is abhorrent and must be opposed; yet if what we find repugnant is a form of animosity expressed by a member of one group towards a member of another group, simply because of their membership of that group, then surely it is logical to simply abandon such groupings where we can.

Humanity is one: one rich, diverse, fascinating plethora. We may have our differences and we may put ourselves into groups, but that is one of the things which makes us all so rich. Some people are white and some are black; some people are straight and some people are gay; some of us have disabilities and some people don’t. There is therefore no such thing as a normal human being, and we are thus all equal and of equal worth.

The problem comes when we put ourselves into artificial groups which don’t really need to exist, and then when such groups are pitted as rivals against each other. Religion is being used to legitimise vitriol more and more; you can watch a truly horrifying explanation of that here. As much as someone’s personal beliefs may mean to them, if religion is such a divisive force, surely it is time humanity grew beyond it.