What matters in religion really boils down to how we treat other people

What significance does religion have in our lives these days?

We talk a very good game, and many of us believe very strongly that we know the right way to get to heaven.

We not only know the way, we also know our friends and acquaintances are on the wrong track and we're quick to tell them.

We have changed a lot in the last 50 years. We're considerably more self-righteous and we purely love to share our opinions.

Sometimes those opinions are useful. "Don't kill. Don't steal."

Other times they're just goofy. "Don't dance. Don't drink wine."

Muslims are practically phobic when it comes to genus Sus, but most Southern Baptists would consider it a tremendous sacrifice to have to live without barbecued pork.

Of course this is just the small stuff. The differences between some religions are massive, and it's at least arguably true that more wars have been fought over religion than any other single cause.

The only mention of religion in the original text of the U.S. Constitution is that no religious test be used to determine eligibility for an office.

And as President Reagan said in 1984, "We mandate no belief, nor will we ever."

Thirty-two years have passed since Reagan said those words, and the party that claims him as their demigod has moved far away from them.

Conservatives argue that this is a Christian nation, and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump has been saying he doesn't want to let any Muslims into the United States.

Religion -- or the conflict between religions -- is one of the biggest negative forces in the world today. Much of it is coming from the Muslim side, with the radical fringe trying to convert the world and seeing any pushback as a modern-day crusade by Christians and Jews.

The shame of it is that we don't seem to understand that if you look at all the religions of the world, they have the same thing at their heart.

Call it the Golden Rule, call it the Law of Reciprocity, but all the religions of the world but one have some variation of this at their core:

"Love your neighbor as yourself."

The one that doesn't is Satanism.

As for where it originates, the Law of Reciprocity was around 500 years before the birth of Christ.

Confucius said it.

"Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself."

If people followed that rule, there really wouldn't be much need for religion.