Originally Posted by Franc Rauscher
Kurts,
Thanks for the praise. I know I often come accross as a dumb savage but my major in college was world history. My minors were political science and ancient religions. Never taught a day of class. A letter from my draft board got in the way.
I don't know why you would feel this way. I look at every post as potentially being yet something else to learn from. Maybe most people should consider this quote when they post as it might help them understand what they really know.
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” Earl Weaver
Originally Posted by Franc Rauscher
Inquisition, Salem witch trials, religious purges in Mexico, none hold a candle to the Mayan's sacrifice of a human every five minutes during the height of their empires. The Incas were not much better. All to please the gods.
Christianity doesn't even come close.
We know more about Christian killings because it was recorded by the western civilzations that commited the acts. And as you have pointed out, history is written by the victors.
Who speaks for God? There is the rub. One must take all prophets with a bit of skeptisism. Weird how they must speak in riddles. I guess it makes fitting their predictions to future events more malliable and likely.
What ever the source of gospel, I can't imagine the equivocation involved in accepting a command from my Lord that forces pain, suffering or death upon another human. That perversion has to come from an evil that resides in all of us. The choice to accept or reject such motivations must be a singular and personal one. Each and every time.
I for one cannot understand the ease with which some succumb to a choice that logicaly cannot be equated with what is good for the human community. To harm or kill another in the name of religion makes no sense. And yet, mankind has done it since the first ape stood upright with like mined friends and took his neighbor's property. Inventing God's purpose as the reason may quell the guilt in one's basic soul but, civilized man has, sadly, made it an acceptable art.
There is a hole in the sky over Manhattan where 3,000 lives evaporated because someone's God told them to scare us into fearful submission. I won't forget it either. And I won't go into that fearful submission.
I hope, yes to God, that our leaders won't take us there.
roadster with a stick
Good points all of them and while I would like to get into the religious nature of this, yes it is the foundation of the terrorist acts performed on behalf of religious extremists, I'll have to consider another thread.
But to the point, I too will not succumb to a religious belief of a bunch of extremists simply to appease their leaders. While they have their dedication to their cause, should they succeed convincing the blind followers in waging out and out war on a level equal to our abilities, I will be as equally dedicated to combating their extremism regardless of my not being a "true" christian.
I'll end with this
Whoever seeks to set one religion against another seeks to destroy all religion.
Franklin D. Roosevelt