Your friendly atheist

If you believe the media (which, alas, we seem pre-wired to do), you get the impression that violence today – both random and premeditaded – is out of control. It is not. As a species, human beings have never been more physically safe.

French historian Robert Muchembled writes that today’s Europeans are murdered at a rate of 1 per 100 000. (For Americans, it’s 6 per 100 000). But in the 14th century, a full 130 of every 100 000 are estimated to have met a violent death at the hands of other humans.

So why are we so afraid? Who benefits from scaring us? Well, the media (my profession) surely does, as do insurance companies and politicians who want more authority to “protect” us. Then there are the religious who hysterically call on the ignorant to battle non-believers (Rwanda is the most Christian country in Africa).

Seems we get more moral the less we pay attention to religion. Haven’t the godly always told us it was the other way around?