Elton John: Religion Fuels Anti-Gay Discrimination

LONDON, UK -- In an interview published Saturday, pop superstar Elton John said that he believes organized religion fuels anti-gay discrimination and other forms of bias.

"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people," John said to the British newspaper The Observer. "Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays."

"But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion," he said. "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn’t seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it’s not really compassionate."

John also said that religious leaders have been failing to do anything about conflicts around the world.

"Why aren’t they having a conclave? Why aren’t they coming together?"

John also slams today's entertainers for not doing enough: "It’s like the peace movement in the ’60s. Musicians got through to people by getting out there and doing peace concerts, but we don’t seem to do them any more," he said. "If John Lennon were alive today, he’d be leading it with a vengeance."