Religion and freedom

Next time you come across one of the headbanger-atheists (as opposed to the more nuanced and reasonable ones) claiming that religion never does any good, re-read this article which just reports on how religious sensibilities have in Burma and once in East Germany been in the lead against atheist tyranny. That's not to claim religion is universally benign: my doctrine of God, human nature etc leads me to expect the subversion of things created good is a perpetual (in this age) danger. However, we should be prepared to hear evidence on both sides of the claim.

I like the article because it also makes connections with other areas of debate such as the uses of new technologies in assisting popular resistance. And this:

"the thing that should come to us as we allow the sequestration of our rights to assemble in Parliament Square, to communicate without being monitored and to move about without being watched is that once these things disappear into the vaults of the state, we face a long, perilous fight to reclaim them."

Hmmm, that's exactly my fear.
Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | The faith of the oppressed can topple the worst tyrants: