Fail. Religion does not cause people to bend causes to their own hateful whims. It gives them a way to do so, granted, but evil people will do evil things regardless of whether religion exists.
Only with religion can the insanity and violence be institutionalized from cradle to grave.
If it were not for the free pass we, as society, give religious whackjobs for their antisocial and criminal bullshit /just because they do so in the name of religion/, crooks wouldn't have a "respectable" haven.
Then why give them that free pass? It is far more reasonable to say that such a free pass should not be given than it is to say there should be no religion whatsoever.
I am unworthy. You are indeed correct. Nationalism tends to fail in free societies while fundamentalist religion flourishes - but that is not an excuse.
I disagree with that last sentence. An evil person in a good society has a pretty good shot at living a good life. Aspects like religion are what defines that society.
But that kind of gets around the question though? It's not whether the person is evil, it's whether and how we respect/allow/condone/enable/enact/endorse the violence - the persons inner self doesn't matter to me, I care about whether they hurt others.
From the death of Socrates to the bombing of abortion clinics, it's all speaking to authority beyond what would be acceptable if you kept it to human standards. If it's a god, apparently it is more deeply and dangerously offended..
I think it's kind of sad. It just lets Americans go on thinking that the only problem that the Middle East has ever had with the US is a difference of religious opinion.
Yeah. I'm trying to think of country boundaries, but so many are geographically stupid... I want to think about maybe people burning at the stake? Maybe?
There are buildings that have been bombed that people may not recognize by sight, but by name. Buildings blown up by fanatic Christians...Oklahoma? Right?
Christians got a raw deal, most of our really interesting bouts of crazed mass-violence were before the ability to seriously make shit go BOOM became common currency.
- Help me. I'm drawing three possible implications of your comment, but that could be because I spent most of Saturday watching a flintknapper work incredible pieces.
Your observation is probably more interesting than mine, then. I merely implied that the last time we don't find religion to be endemic in the human species was before the Neanderthals.
Exactly. Religion is used to justify such things on both sides, only because most people are too ignorant to realize it's all about international politics. Why do people think an economic target was chosen over a governmental or religious one?
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-13 10:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-13 10:21 pm (UTC)- James -
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-13 10:23 pm (UTC)(or, rather, by nsa.org, which is nothing like the NSA, but that's less cool.)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-13 11:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-13 11:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-13 11:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-13 11:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 12:04 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 02:54 am (UTC)If it were not for the free pass we, as society, give religious whackjobs for their antisocial and criminal bullshit /just because they do so in the name of religion/, crooks wouldn't have a "respectable" haven.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 09:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-15 05:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-15 06:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 06:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 08:53 am (UTC)It's not whether the person is evil, it's whether and how we respect/allow/condone/enable/enact/endorse the violence - the persons inner self doesn't matter to me, I care about whether they hurt others.
From the death of Socrates to the bombing of abortion clinics, it's all speaking to authority beyond what would be acceptable if you kept it to human standards. If it's a god, apparently it is more deeply and dangerously offended..
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 12:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 01:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 01:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 02:55 am (UTC)It was the most horrific thing he'd evah seen.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 02:34 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 03:37 am (UTC)There are buildings that have been bombed that people may not recognize by sight, but by name. Buildings blown up by fanatic Christians...Oklahoma? Right?
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-15 05:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-17 10:32 am (UTC)Particularly poignant because they weren't even muslims there, but fellow Christians..
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-15 05:48 pm (UTC)Picture a room full of hundreds of normal human beings, all kneeling and bowing to a man strapped to a torture device.
And don't get me started on the Mass as ritual cannabilism.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 01:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 02:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 07:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-15 05:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 02:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-15 05:42 pm (UTC)Mostly for the sheer degree of "I don't get it."
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 02:35 am (UTC)Sorry
Date: 2008-04-14 01:37 pm (UTC)It's an MS Paint job, hence rubbishness...
Re: Sorry
Date: 2008-04-14 08:05 pm (UTC)Re: Sorry
Date: 2008-04-14 10:01 pm (UTC)Re: Sorry
Date: 2008-04-15 05:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-14 07:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-15 05:33 pm (UTC)Nationalism, racism, class-warfare...hate always finds a way.