A Good Use for Health Warnings

There are many things in this life which are harmful and hazardous to health, and which we plaster with health warnings and exhortations to be responsible. Cigarettes and alcohol, for example.

Yet it seems to me that the biggest killer - the thing that has sparked more wars, looting, pillaging and acts of terror in history - remains free of warnings, and unhampered in the spreading of its message of intolerance, bigotry and hatred.

You guessed it, folks - I'm talking about Religion.

I'm not aiming at any particular religion - over the years, pretty much all of them are guilty of some form of violence in the name of faith, be it Christianity, Islam or Judaism. All of these have sanctioned taking the lives of those who disagree with their personal version of God. As was once memorably said, they're fighting over who's got the best imaginary friend.

So - for once, I'm advocating the use of Health Warnings on a damaging product - one that damages your ability to think and to reason, and which ultimately leads to far too many deaths.

You can't ban it - that will just drive the God-botherers of all flavours underground, and at least at present we can see them. And, of course, my views on banning anything are well documented.

But, just as we do with cigarettes and other harmful addictions, by putting warnings on our churches and preachers, perhaps we can reduce the damaging impact of religion. I commend the idea to the House, and have made a few suggestions below: