Destruction of New York's trade center, a portion of the Pentagon, and Flight 93 was faith-based.

Now I ask you: What does FAITH - BASED lead to?

Hate. Bigotry. Destruction. History shows that most of the horrors of the world population was based on fervent beliefs.

Not beliefs that humans had a right to live and strive for happiness.

Not beliefs that each human being is an individual whose life should be nourished and respected.

In each case the beliefs coalesced around a superior being, a God, made up in the image chosen by the believers. And that God not only encouraged the disasters but most of the time actually instigated it. Look at the most blatant.

The Inquisition, Spanish in infamy but religious in outcome. The Jewish Holocaust, German in infamy but political in practice with the blessing of religion, Hitler's opium of the people.

Within each "religion" people insist that their God is the only true God and they lie to themselves when they practice the Christian invention of ecumenical services. Believers within organized religions refuse to consider that their foundations foster hate and encourage violence. In their humble search for comfort they cling to the leader's quotations, always discounting the horrors printed in their Holy Books.

Religion is the culprit. Put in the hands and minds of susceptible people, religion approves of, in fact encourages, any and all violence against whatever those individuals choose.

President George W. Bush advocates faith-based initiatives for the compassionate social work within the USA. The outcome will not be compassionate use of tax dollars. Even now we uncover proof of our taxes going into religious groups to fight what is best for world health: - family planning.

Until September 11, we had no real evidence of faith-based initiatives at work. Well, that day the world witnessed a duezy! Destruction of lives probably even unexpected by the sick planners who got the attention of a super power, big time.

Do the planners swell with pride in self-congratulations on the timing to bring immediate attention to the world on network television? Do those responsible sit back and snicker at the extra bonus of thousands of dead from six countries? Do the ones behind the actions consider the deaths a payback for earlier injustices against them?

Why not? Religions insist on judging. And when judgment is against someone - anyone - then it's war. An eye for an eye is fully acted on by God in the revered Bible.

"Mainstream" religions insist that their dogma is founded on love and compassion as they hold the entire bible in their hands. A book full of revenge, hate, and God-blessed disasters. But they only quote the "good" stuff, as if the "bad" stuff would go away under a preacher's insistence that "God works in mysterious ways."

Now mysterious would be a fact if there were a God. Obviously there is not. The tidal waves in India that wash away hundreds of worshipping souls or the earthquakes in Mexico that bury thousands are but two recent examples of "God"s caring for "His" own - in mysterious ways, of course.

"He" knows there were many faithful followers among the dead. And they didn't go with the express intention of gaining entrance to the highest reward in "His" kingdom.

Many ministers have told me that God works through "man" and did they ever on September 11, 2001! The world witnessed, live, the results of the actions of people, in this case they actually were men, who willingly went into oblivion with their destructive actions.

Did the murderers really believe they would receive sufficient rewards? Many of those left behind believe they will. All because religion says so.

We who value human life know better. The infamy they live in is not sublime nor excusable.

God help all believers to come to their senses. Humans can, and do, accomplish great things by their own intelligence, competence, and actions. An overlooking superpower is not necessary to make and reinforce the laws that empower individuals to find their places in this magnificent world of ours.

Thrust off your "God" and experience the freedom of spirit you've only dreamed of.