Quote:
Originally posted by Mouse:
Finally, before I butt out of this topic for good, here is a hideously biassed site that nevertheless has some thought provoking "facts".
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As you said, hideously biased. but it makes it all the easier to see how there are so many sides to this discussion. There are the peaceful adherants to christianity (of whom I might cite Yorick as an example), and there are the brutal (hmmm, draw a name out of a hat, let's say the Croation Catholic-run extermination camp director 'Ante Pavelic' as an example). The same sorts of examples might apply to any other 'organized religion'. It would appear as to how each individual interprets and excercises the teachings portrayed by the texts of their religion that determines the overall actions of the faithful. Maybe? It's a possibility at least...
Now of course, the issue may be in whether the actual
teachings and messages of the texts promotes violence or not. But the thing here is that there is just as much in the christian bible that could be taken as an incitement or justification of violence, and has been done so in the past by various 'inquisitive' groups. Both religions could be attempting to direct humanity in the same direction of peace, or the same direction of savage conflict, depending on how one wants to interpret their words. You have to
want peace to find it. Just as you can use the words of religious texts as a justification of violent persecution, if such brutality is your self-determined goal.