In my introductory/first blog post I mentioned that religion is a topic that I would address.  Best to get it over with now.  My personal challenge is to sum up my disdain of all things “spiritual” in under 500 words.

I am an atheist.  It has been said that I sound more like an “agnostic” because I occasionally say things like, “If there was a god I cannot believe that he would sanction beheadings, fgm, subjugation of women and veto anyone from entering heaven should they not keep their head covered.”

I am told that it is not religion that is at fault but some of those who misinterpret it. I am also told that guns don’t kill people, but men with moustaches.

There is nothing in the scriptures (I include the Talmud) to my meagre  knowledge that says heads must be covered in the sight of god – turbans, skull caps etc are just one of the many nonsenses.  Why a woman’s hair is considered to be likely to inflame a mere mortal man’s lust is beyond me.  What about me being sent all-of a wobble by a man’s cute button nose and come hither lips?  Why don’t religious men cover their faces so as not to incite temptation?  Please don’t answer – I  don’t care enough.

I used to be more tolerant.  If people want to believe that blood transfusions are evil, that eating pork is a sin or that you can’t pray wearing shoes, then so be it.  So long as they did not try to recruit me (or my sons) then they could jolly well just get on with living in their fantasy land.  However, now that I am officially of grumpy old woman status, I find the whole gamut of every faith disgusting.

In London we are currently being bombarded at railways stations by jehovah witnesses thrusting their literature at us as we reach for our Evening Standard.  The serene smile on the female one at Waterloo does not make me feel warm towards her; it makes me want to slap her rosy cheeks perhaps accompanied by a stamp on her toes.  Of course, that says a lot about me and my inner anger which is no doubt due to my lack of spirituality and my need to sit in contemplation in some holy temple.  However, I’d rather fill my limited time in real life watching a play, acting in a play, playing bridge, playing with the cute children downstairs; in fact “play” is the thing.

Would a word without religion be anarchy?  Has not the indoctrination of the ten commandments made our society “civilised”?  Would we have any morals without religion?  Of course we shall never know because human beings are too susceptible to cult leaders and are basically rather a nasty animal.

For my part, I try to live my life considering others, being kind and charitable and enjoying myself.  If my views on religion offend anyone then I am not in the least bit sorry.