Religion and Violence
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KillerMuffin
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My pet theory? People use religion as an excuse to commit violence against anyone who doesn't agree with them.
Nobody Special's wife
Just Peeking
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Because one man thought to save the world...or was it a bunch a people trying to fine the freedom or to make things better ...there are so many answer....but never questions ask on why should we do that an kill ....But then this is the world of humans hate ,volince, prejuidce, racial hate,....IF we could every get past this there might be some peace in the world...Oh and get rid of our goverment and congress and let the people run america as it should be .....BUt then that is just my opion,,,
scylis
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they're not any mroe brutal, if you think about it..
i mean, look at all the war in the Middle East.. that's mainly Jews and Muslims, and they've been going at it since.. since they were in the same vacinity as each other!
and maybe Chrisitans seem to be so violent throughout history b/c they've always tried to "spread the good word".. and when they met oposition to their peaceful attempts, they felt the need to go and bash peoples' heads in to convert them..
but in, say, the Crusades, Christians were no more brutal than the Turks they fought.. brutality was a fact of life durring times of war in those days..
i mean, look at all the war in the Middle East.. that's mainly Jews and Muslims, and they've been going at it since.. since they were in the same vacinity as each other!
and maybe Chrisitans seem to be so violent throughout history b/c they've always tried to "spread the good word".. and when they met oposition to their peaceful attempts, they felt the need to go and bash peoples' heads in to convert them..
but in, say, the Crusades, Christians were no more brutal than the Turks they fought.. brutality was a fact of life durring times of war in those days..
Mischka
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How would "the people" run America without a government structure and elected representatives? What sort of system are you advocating?Nobody Special's wife said:
As for the topic at hand, I don't think that all Christians should be penalized for the horrors wrought by their religion, but it is one of the more violent religions we've had so far, in terms of wide-spread damage. I think the teachings of the Bible have been used as a basis by greedy people to wield extraordinary power over the masses. All boils down to power and wealth, and Christianity allows despots greater flexibility than most religions.
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Mystery Man
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Actually I think it's something to do with the Christian attitude of spreading the word. I've been approached in lifetime by loads of people trying to convert me to Christianity, and occasionally by a Hare Krishna, but never by a Buddhist, a Muslim or a Hindu.
Even though the Turks were brutal, who started the war in the first place?
Even though the Turks were brutal, who started the war in the first place?
KillerMuffin
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Is it, Mischka? Or is it the one we've heard the most about? History is written by the victors. It would be something to try to find out, if I had the access to a non-Christian based library.
Pyper
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I agree with Scylis' point. Christianity is a prosletyzing religion. One of its major mandates is to go out and convert. Most other religions don't have this to such an extreme. I've known a lot of Jews, Buddhists, pagans, and Jains in my time, and none of them ever tried to convert me. Can't say the same for the Christians. Like Scylis said, the Christians' main tactic was to bash people's heads in to get them to agree.
Plus, Christianity is rooted in violence. If you look closely, Jesus says a lot of scary stuff involving gruesome deaths and grisly afterlife for non-believers. Plus its symbol is an instrument of torture.
Plus, Christianity is rooted in violence. If you look closely, Jesus says a lot of scary stuff involving gruesome deaths and grisly afterlife for non-believers. Plus its symbol is an instrument of torture.
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Mystery Man
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Opps..didn't read scylis' post properly when i did mine..doh
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Mystery Man
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One has to take into account the attitudes of the Dark and Middle Ages as well....where just about everything bad was blamed on the Devil and witches were persecuted and so forth. Over-zealous rulers and arch bishops urging conquest to spread the word of the Bible...any culture or person who wasn't Christian was interpreted as evil and therefore had to be purged.
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Mystery Man
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After some thought I think it's a combination of the attitudes and climate. Yes Christianity was used as a tool, but not all people were just using it....some people really believed they were doing the right thing in the name of Jesus Christ.
And it is also true that there has been a lot of religious figthing since the beginning of time, but none on such a large scale as the Conquests....the Christians really went all out on that one.
And it is also true that there has been a lot of religious figthing since the beginning of time, but none on such a large scale as the Conquests....the Christians really went all out on that one.
Weird Harold
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Blame it on the Catholics...
... or more specifically, the Holy Roman Empire.
99% of the violence and repression attributed to "christianity" is actually the work of the Holy Roman Empire -- The remnants of which are known today as the Catholic Church.
Historically, much of the violence has also been limited to wars against the spread of Islam, with the remainder being directed against "heretic" Christians. ie those Christians who disagreed with the violent tactics and repression of the Church.
Echos of the wars started by the Holy Roman Empire continue today in the ethnic cleansing in the Balklands where cristian factions are still trying to expel muslim invaders, and the sectarian violence in Ireland where the Church (in the guise of the English Crown) began taking away the rights of protestants becuase they were not members of the official state religion. When the official state religion changed to Anglican, back to Catholic, and back to Anglican again, those in power sought to redress the insults of the other faction.
Almost all of the religious violence in the world today can be traced back to the melding of Roman imperialism with Christianity as a state religion -- Either directly or by the perpetuation of hatreds engendered by Church actions.
... or more specifically, the Holy Roman Empire.
99% of the violence and repression attributed to "christianity" is actually the work of the Holy Roman Empire -- The remnants of which are known today as the Catholic Church.
Historically, much of the violence has also been limited to wars against the spread of Islam, with the remainder being directed against "heretic" Christians. ie those Christians who disagreed with the violent tactics and repression of the Church.
Echos of the wars started by the Holy Roman Empire continue today in the ethnic cleansing in the Balklands where cristian factions are still trying to expel muslim invaders, and the sectarian violence in Ireland where the Church (in the guise of the English Crown) began taking away the rights of protestants becuase they were not members of the official state religion. When the official state religion changed to Anglican, back to Catholic, and back to Anglican again, those in power sought to redress the insults of the other faction.
Almost all of the religious violence in the world today can be traced back to the melding of Roman imperialism with Christianity as a state religion -- Either directly or by the perpetuation of hatreds engendered by Church actions.
Pyper
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lavender said:Although the Bible does say, "go ye therefore and preach the word" or whatever, Christians are also to look towards Jesus as an example. Jesus, the lamb, the shepherd. His example was one of tolerance, of understanding, of compassion. His example was not to bash people's heads in to get them to agree. That is Christendom, the way people have acted in response. But, that is not what the Bible teaches and it is not the means Christianity describes.
I agree with KM, people use religion as justification when it's not truly religious based motivation.
Christianity is not rooted in violence. Simply because the afterlife is described in gruesome detail does not ground Christianity itself in violence. And how is the symbol an instrument of torture? I don't understand that.
I can't believe I'm defending Christianity. This is a new one for me.
Jesus' example was not always of tolerance, understanding, and compassion. He said, "I bring not peace, but a sword" as well as "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me" and "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned". Now I know I'm going to get slammed for "out of context" on this one, but couldn't you say the same for any "compassionate" quote? He also introduced the idea of eternal hellfire.
Now my point is, Christianity can be used to serve the whims of tyrants, but it need not be twisted. It's right there in the Bible. The compassionate stuff is all right there in the Bible too, and people today simply use that part to proclaim Christianity as loving and tolerant. The tyrants of yesteryear are no more misinterpreting the Bible than the peace-loving Christians of today.
Oh, and btw, the symbol of Christianity is the cross, method of torture and death. What a contrast to a religion like Buddhism, whose symbol is the lotus flower.
