It doesn't take a genius to tell you that the world has evolved both physically and spiritually.
We are no longer barbaric.
We no longer commit genocide or mass murder in the interest of our specific form of faith.
Or do we? The most recent case of religious intolerance was very recent indeed - 9/11 - lots of death and destruction; mass murder, even.
In everyday life we also see thousands of examples of intolerance.
Consider a Christian family.
If a child in such a family suddenly decides to become a Pagan, this is unlikely to be accepted without some storms in both the child's home and social life.
So have we really evolved as much as we think? And if not, why not? Is it possible for all of us to just get along? The fundamental problem at the heart of religious intolerance is the concept of truth.
Consider myself and my friend: I believe that Christ died on the cross for the sins of all human beings.
I believe that only people who believe in him will go to heaven and that the rest is doomed for hell.
This is the truth according to me.
I have a terrible fear for all people who do not believe in Christ, including my friend.
I therefore find it necessary to make a daily effort to "redeem" these poor lost souls.
This truth is one of the fundamental principles of my faith.
If I do not believe it, I can no longer see myself as a Christian.
My friend, on the other hand, is a Wiccan.
He believes that there are many gods, and that he can choose which ones to worship for his specific purposes.
He does not believe in the Christian god, that this god is the only one out there; or indeed in heaven or hell.
He does not believe that he is lost.
This is his truth.
There is nothing I can do to convince him otherwise.
I believe that my friend is going to hell.
He does not.
We both believe that our respective views are the truth.
We can't both be right, can we? The problem is the stubborn human need to believe in an immutable religious truth.
Because if we don't, what of the afterlife? Our faith is the only promise of eternal existence that we can cling to.
It's the only thing between us and a debilitating fear of death.
But can we change this? I am not the only one who believes that we can.
We can change.
We can all 'just get along' and avoid atrocities like family feuds, losing friends and losing lives.
We need to understand the basic thing that we seem to understand in all other areas of life: no single 'truth' works the same for every single person.
The fact that we are human makes us different.
This difference implies that we need different things to make us happy.
Take relationships for example.
To be happy, I need a relationship with a man.
I prefer that this man be blond instead of dark haired, and that he likes staying home rather than skiing on Mount Everest.
I need to be married, and have children.
I want only two children.
My friend, on the other hand, is not interested in marriage or children.
He prefers to have a serious relationship, but without the artificial commitment of marriage.
And he doesn't like children.
He would like a partner with whom he can parachute and go white water rafting.
There is nothing wrong with either of us.
We have different needs, and live our lives accordingly.
Neither of us is going to hell for it.
Now more than ever, life involves choices.
I can choose my husband and my career.
I can choose between a career and children.
I can choose both or neither.
I can choose what to eat from day to day.
I can choose what to wear.
I can even choose things like culture.
I can choose my religion.
The Internet and globalization have made these choices more possible now than ever before.
If there is no specific single truth surrounding human relationships, why should there be any single specific truth surrounding religion? Nothing is true.
And everything is true.
Each truth is true only for the person believing this truth.
There is no reason to expect everyone to believe the same truth.
A world filled with similar people would be a boring place indeed.
If we could understand that spirituality is as much a choice as what to wear, we could begin to get over ourselves and live together in peace.
My religion is neither more nor less important than yours.
It is simply different.
What I believe should make me happy.
If it doesn't, it needs to change.
No hell, no guilt, no truth.
In today's world, we need to realize that we are all part of the divine.
The form it takes depends upon collective culture and individual need.
Killing a person for a religious principle is as absurd as killing them for their sense of fashion, or lack thereof.
You can't do it without some serious legal repercussions.
Religion, faith and spirituality are very human needs.
Like human relationships, the human-divine relationship is a very personal thing.
No single relationship format is going to fit every human need.
This is why there is difference in the world.
This difference is beautiful.
We should accept it, live with it, and learn from it.
To persecute another for their sense of spirituality is childish in the same way as breaking someone else's toy because you can't have it.
And so many of us are no longer children.
We are no longer barbaric.
We no longer commit genocide or mass murder in the interest of our specific form of faith.
Or do we? The most recent case of religious intolerance was very recent indeed - 9/11 - lots of death and destruction; mass murder, even.
In everyday life we also see thousands of examples of intolerance.
Consider a Christian family.
If a child in such a family suddenly decides to become a Pagan, this is unlikely to be accepted without some storms in both the child's home and social life.
So have we really evolved as much as we think? And if not, why not? Is it possible for all of us to just get along? The fundamental problem at the heart of religious intolerance is the concept of truth.
Consider myself and my friend: I believe that Christ died on the cross for the sins of all human beings.
I believe that only people who believe in him will go to heaven and that the rest is doomed for hell.
This is the truth according to me.
I have a terrible fear for all people who do not believe in Christ, including my friend.
I therefore find it necessary to make a daily effort to "redeem" these poor lost souls.
This truth is one of the fundamental principles of my faith.
If I do not believe it, I can no longer see myself as a Christian.
My friend, on the other hand, is a Wiccan.
He believes that there are many gods, and that he can choose which ones to worship for his specific purposes.
He does not believe in the Christian god, that this god is the only one out there; or indeed in heaven or hell.
He does not believe that he is lost.
This is his truth.
There is nothing I can do to convince him otherwise.
I believe that my friend is going to hell.
He does not.
We both believe that our respective views are the truth.
We can't both be right, can we? The problem is the stubborn human need to believe in an immutable religious truth.
Because if we don't, what of the afterlife? Our faith is the only promise of eternal existence that we can cling to.
It's the only thing between us and a debilitating fear of death.
But can we change this? I am not the only one who believes that we can.
We can change.
We can all 'just get along' and avoid atrocities like family feuds, losing friends and losing lives.
We need to understand the basic thing that we seem to understand in all other areas of life: no single 'truth' works the same for every single person.
The fact that we are human makes us different.
This difference implies that we need different things to make us happy.
Take relationships for example.
To be happy, I need a relationship with a man.
I prefer that this man be blond instead of dark haired, and that he likes staying home rather than skiing on Mount Everest.
I need to be married, and have children.
I want only two children.
My friend, on the other hand, is not interested in marriage or children.
He prefers to have a serious relationship, but without the artificial commitment of marriage.
And he doesn't like children.
He would like a partner with whom he can parachute and go white water rafting.
There is nothing wrong with either of us.
We have different needs, and live our lives accordingly.
Neither of us is going to hell for it.
Now more than ever, life involves choices.
I can choose my husband and my career.
I can choose between a career and children.
I can choose both or neither.
I can choose what to eat from day to day.
I can choose what to wear.
I can even choose things like culture.
I can choose my religion.
The Internet and globalization have made these choices more possible now than ever before.
If there is no specific single truth surrounding human relationships, why should there be any single specific truth surrounding religion? Nothing is true.
And everything is true.
Each truth is true only for the person believing this truth.
There is no reason to expect everyone to believe the same truth.
A world filled with similar people would be a boring place indeed.
If we could understand that spirituality is as much a choice as what to wear, we could begin to get over ourselves and live together in peace.
My religion is neither more nor less important than yours.
It is simply different.
What I believe should make me happy.
If it doesn't, it needs to change.
No hell, no guilt, no truth.
In today's world, we need to realize that we are all part of the divine.
The form it takes depends upon collective culture and individual need.
Killing a person for a religious principle is as absurd as killing them for their sense of fashion, or lack thereof.
You can't do it without some serious legal repercussions.
Religion, faith and spirituality are very human needs.
Like human relationships, the human-divine relationship is a very personal thing.
No single relationship format is going to fit every human need.
This is why there is difference in the world.
This difference is beautiful.
We should accept it, live with it, and learn from it.
To persecute another for their sense of spirituality is childish in the same way as breaking someone else's toy because you can't have it.
And so many of us are no longer children.