Thomas Jefferson wrote of the role of religion in the public sphere:

And he is correct. Religion being a purely private matter, the thoughts of another make no difference to me, regardless of how I may characterize them.

However, when one’s private thoughts—particularly the private thoughts on the topic of religion—intrude upon or guide one’s public and social interactions, then it is of consequence to me. This is especially true when so much of the modern expression of one’s religious notions becomes a will to stupidity—an occasion for one to publicly showcase their ignorance and inability to engage in basic reason and logic.

Contemporary religious expression is a pageant of buffoonery, with each buffoon aping the other, resulting in an orgy of mutual masturbation. In contrast, that mode of expression, that mode of thought which does not serve as a mirror for the buffoon—to reflect his accolades, his thought, his “rightness”—is denigrated, cast out, cast down, refused, and refuted.

Religion, when used as the basis for guiding one’s decisions in public life, is no more supportable than any other baseless justification, including insanity. And just as we don’t countenance insanity as the basis for our public policies, neither should we countenance religion.