Viewing Single Post From: Organized Religion is the Bane of Mankind

Viewing Single Post From: Organized Religion is the Bane of Mankind
Simon	Jan 12 2008, 05:59 PM
The strongest among you may not wear a crown Posts: 3,318 Group: Veteran Member #885 Joined: August 19, 2006	Actually...it's more like "Mankind is the Bane of Mankind." Religion itself is not the issue. Specifically: Quote: Things dating as far back as the enslavement of the Hebrews by the Egyptians and Jesus being murdered by the people with power in religion were caused by religion and culture. The ones clearly in the wrong, the Egyptians and the religious leaders in these cases, used religion and culture to justify their actions. That's faulty cause and effect. Leaders using religion as justification for their actions =/= religion caused the atrocity. The Egyptian pharaoh that enslaved the Israelites did so because he felt -- granted, falsely -- that the Israelites would attempt to take over his kingdom. Jesus was a threat to the power of the Pharisees, so they accused him of blasphemy, made up false charges of inciting rebellion, and got him killed. Had religion not existed, the Egyptians would have enslaved the Israelites anyway; I don't even see how organized religion is relevant to the Egyptians enslaving the Israelites. Quote: This caused the Crusades. Terrorism was bred from this. Islamic extremism is currently the number one reason for the problems in the Middle East today. No, this [being religion, I assume] did not cause the Crusades. The powers that [used to] be in Europe decided that there were riches in the Middle East -- not only actual riches, like perfume and myrrh that would cash in well in trading, but also the fact that the Middle East was both a hotbed of trading in the Mediterranean world as well as the only way to access the Silk Road -- and that they were worth going to war over. Since religion was such a dominant aspect of the everyday serf's life, said powers that [used to] be called a "holy war" in order to gain the support of the common people. If religion did not exist, then the rulers would simply have said something else to gain the respect of the people; religion was just the most expedient method. As for the whole "radical Islamic terrorist" thing...I don't see how that is the fault of organized religion. Sure, you could say that if organized religion didn't exist, then there wouldn't be radical splinter groups; however, that's the same as saying that I should be held responsible for the action of someone impersonating me. That's exactly what radical Islamic terrorist leaders do; they impersonate the dominant religion of the area and use it as a means to an end -- here, the end being destroying all political opponents and reigning the Middle East through terror. Were Hinduism the dominant religion of the Middle East, for instance, the terrorists would be the exact same, only they'd be followers of Hinduism; were there no religion, they'd simply find something else to use. To put it simply, you can't even begin to say that organized religion is the source of these atrocities, nor can you blame organized religion for the horrors of those who thirst only for the blood of their fellow man and of those who hunger only for power over their fellow man.
	Wirt I conquered the world with nothing but diarrhea and depression. Previously: Ron DeLite, Simon Reaver for the lulz Fraulein Holls Sep 14 2008, 06:16 PM Some Kind Of Monster - Metallica >> Metallica wub all of a sudden ~~Say, I know a member currently going by Ron DeLite who also loves Metallica, you two should totally hook up.~~ God of Thunder - KISS rofl Chris Chris says: you know what Chris says: someone Chris says: once said to be Chris says: me* Chris says: when someone did Chris says: d(-_-)b Chris says: wtf, how'd they invert the b?

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