Perhaps confusion lies with the term "organized religion." The writer would like this term to include every major religion that has ever existed. His claims are simply not true— at least not from a Christian point of view. There are those who preach Christianity but oppress and sometimes even kill non-Christians. In my opinion, people who commit such heinous acts are not Christians in the first place. Being Christian means loving and respecting your fellow humans. Piety means acceptance, and there is no disputing that simple fact.

Yes, wars have been fought in the name of religion, but the reasoning behind these wars was flawed. Jesus never preached intolerance, let alone violence against those who didn't agree with his ideals. One of my favorite quotes from the Bible has always been, "Anyone who is not against us is with us" (Mark 9:40). I ask only that we consider this statement before making generalizations, like "organized religion preaches discrimination."

Furthermore, the suggestion that religion should be based on the principle "to each his own" degrades the premise of true organized religion. I believe in one God, and to make religion subjective would, in essence, deny his existence. If everyone carried separate beliefs, the ideal unity that is so important to Christianity would soon disappear.

Yes, sometimes organized religions do fail, but that is because they're run by humans, and humans have the capacity to err. The doctrine of love on which the Christian church stands, however, clearly states that tolerance is tantamount. This will always be true within the realm of Christianity, and those who don't believe it or act against it are simply not Christian.

I pose this point of view not to convert, but to educate. I understand how easy it is to look at isolated incidents of fanatics and make sweeping generalizations. I believe this is what Resnick did, and I think if he researches the issue a little more in depth, he will come to understand that.