Musings on a Stained Glass Window

On what? Man's inhumanity to man. I was provoked by a web posting about how the taliban had murdered the head of a girls' school. The poster (a friend) fingered belief in God as the real culprit here. Despite being a devout atheist myself, I hae ma doots. It seems to me that any hard-line doctrine which excludes the grey area where most of us live, and which delights in the simplicity of black and white judgement, will attract adherents who will cut your throat without the need for any God. Nazis did it in the thirties, I do believe Communists have thought it reasonable to liquidate political opponents, and Nationists everywhere are prone to little outbreaks of fervour where they will round you up and herd you to your death if you're onto wrong side of re-drawn border.
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. That's sounds a better doctrine altogether.