Before I get deeper into this, I think it would make sense to define for your edification the “illegal drug” concept. Drugs are often called “illegal drugs” but in reality what is illegal about them is not the fact that they are being consumed but rather because of their unlicensed production, distribution, and possession. On what basis would a drug be classified as illegal?

The government would label a drug illegal because its use/abuse tends to lead to health problems, social problems, morbidity, injuries, unprotected sex, violence, deaths, motor vehicle accidents, homicides, suicides, mortality, physical dependence or psychological addiction.

In the case of religion, I think we would be better off without. Religion has caused more tribulations than good to humanity. It has brought us social problems, violence, deaths, homicides, physical dependence and/or psychological addiction.

Aren’t we told that there is one God and one Holy Spirit to inspire and teach us the way? If that is so, why do we have around the globe so many religions? Not only that, why do we have so many religion-driven fights over influence, supremacy and domination? There can’t be anything holy about all these turbulences religion has caused.

Religion divides us more than it unites us. All the great wars/conflicts our world has known stemmed from religion.

1. Wars of Religion –a series of wars that erupted in Europe during the sixteenth and seventh centuries, as a result of the onset of the Protestant Reformation.
2. The French Wars of Religion (1562–98) –this name is attributed to a period of civil disturbances and military operations primarily between French Catholics and Protestants. The wars also involved the aristocratic houses of France –the House of Bourdon and House of Guise. These wars ended with the issuing of the Edict of Nantes by Henry IV of France, which granted to the Calvinists a certain degree of religious tolerance.
3. The Crusades –a series of religious-driven military campaigns waged by much of European Latin Christians against Muslim expansionism, over a period of nearly 200 years (between 1095 and 1291). The intent of these crusades was to regain control of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule.
4. Jihad –an Arabic term that means “struggle.” We are all aware of how this concept has been used by Islamic extremists to get the kind of attention they are looking for.

Religion can be very addictive. In Haiti, my homeland, for instance, we have more religious conglomerates than hospitals/healthcare centers. We are amongst the most religious people on earth, yet amongst the most underdeveloped and divided. In our case, as a nation, religion has not helped a notch.

Most Haitian religious crazies are walking the earth with their spirits and souls in a perceived holy world yet to come. These people are completely detached from the real world. They would not engage in the politics of things in the country, though they are greatly impacted by it. They would not work and even go to school to get an education because they believe that Jesus did not go to school, nor did he have to work to sustain himself and his family. For them, going to school to get an education and working to contribute to the development of the economy are all against the word of God. They view themselves as celestial citizens whose country is in heaven; they are only in transit in this world. Therefore, they don’t have anything to do with what is happening in the country, nor do they have to do with the reality of life they are living. In other words, they are in this world, not of this world. How ridiculous that is!!!

Before I put an end to this, I want to make a serious distinction. I believe there is a big difference between being religious and being spiritual. The difference is simple -being religious is for dummies, whereas being spiritual is for intelligent people. See how simple that is?

In conclusion, for all the pains and sufferings religion has brought us, it should be classified as illegal drug. Why it is not being categorized as such is beyond my pay grade. Some people would tell you, and I tend to agree with them, that the reason why it is not classified as illegal drug is because it is good politics, and politics rules the world.