Religious fundamentalism

Sir,

When researching the topic of religious fundamentalism for a talk, I came across this from the Anglican Reverend Michael Marshall in the Church of England newspaper in September 1999: “When religion and politics converge and combine their forces in a single-minded zeal to do what no lesser power than God himself has instructed them to do, then dive for cover. The unchecked crusading spirit in the name of religion has shed rivers of blood throughout history. Any review of contemporary newspapers would suggest that the danger from religious zealots, far from abating, is perilously and increasingly in evidence as we come to the close of the millennium."

Now, 15 years on, we can see all too clearly just what a prescient observation that was, and all the more damning of fundamentalist religious belief for coming from a cleric.

Alistair McBay

National Secular Society

5 Atholl Crescent

Edinburgh

Religious fundamentalism

18 November 2014

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