Extremism

This week's world events sure make you question humanity.

Hamas fired rockets into Israel, then expected the world to stop Israel from attempting to control the situation by retaliating in a far harsher manner than was used to pick the fight.  This war is so ancient as to be completely ridiculous and proves only that humans stubbornly refuse to change their ways.  Maybe Hamas should learn to quit instigating a battle he can't handle.  Maybe he should learn that ancient beliefs on who the "promised land" of Gaza belongs to are probably false.  Maybe he should do the world a favor and...  Well, that statement is completely inappropriate so I'll keep that thought to myself.

The extremists in Russia shot down a commercial airliner over Ukraine, murdering almost 300 people.  What has the world done to shut them down?  Nothing.  There's been dissension there for many months now.

I simply do not understand extremism.  The majority of extremists have some sort of religion to blame it on.  Islam.  Jihadist.  ISIS.  In historical times, Catholics also murdered Protestants and vice versa.  Extremists may blame their religion, but it is merely a power struggle.  Power to control the world.  To make a certain "god" higher than the rest.  To claim a strip of land an old history book says belongs to one race or another, while belonging to none.

Maybe the world should be full of atheists.  Atheists are generally more pleasant than their religious counterparts - regardless of the belief set.  Atheists don't start wars based on ridiculous, ancient religious beliefs.  They don't get extreme over anything -- except maybe general fairness for everyone.  People are allowed to be who and what they are without judgement; without expectation of conversion to this or that belief.  Too bad there aren't more atheists in the world.  There'd be a lot less war and destruction.