Non-believer’s plea for freedom

The letters’ page exchanges between atheist John Guillaumier and true-believers Joe Zammit and John Azzopardi are highly entertaining – but ultimately futile. Nothing will change any of their minds. So any argument is pointless – logical or otherwise.

If Zammit and Azzopardi are right, then Guillaumier will live (or, rather, die) to rue his wrong choice. Eternally. As the Bible says, God in his infinite love and wisdom will ensure that Mr G burns in hell because he rejected Him. So why get hot and bothered regarding Azzopardi prematurely?

What I, as a pacifist atheist (i.e. one that doesn’t try to thrust his total non-belief down believers’ throats), object to is when my life is controlled by the religious belief of others. Maltese Catholics don’t believe in divorce? Or abortion? Gay marriage? Contraception? Cremation? Fine. That’s their belief system, and I respect it. I would be the first to protect their freedom in these matters. Nobody is forcing them to have to change any of these.

All I ask is that Maltese believers – and the Maltese Government – allow others of other faiths and/or no faith to have the freedom to live their lives in Malta according to their own rules. So why doesn’t Malta have an abortion clinic for non-believers? Or contraception for those who don’t accept the Church ruling? Or a crematorium?

In past centuries religions were so bigoted and hardline that they actually killed those who believed differently to them (let’s not forget that the popular tomato juice and vodka drink ‘Bloody Mary’ is named after the English queen who burned people at the stake because they held to a different version of Christianity than she did).

We have, thankfully moved on since then. Now it’s time that Maltese believers give non-believers the same freedoms that have been accorded to them.