Will religious brutality ever end?

[heebeegeetee]

Been hearing this week about how gleefully catholics helped the nazis slaughter jews in eastern europe and russia during WW2, and the awful, awful tales of how those lovely god fearing priests and nuns tortured and sexually abused children on an unmanageable scale in Ireland.

Religion has to appear to be modernised and civilised in countries where it simply cannot get away with how it would like to behave, but in the backwoods where people are still free to terrorise the populace, religious brutality in the name of God is free and as healthy as ever it was.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8063855.st...

[Jasandjules]

Will it end?

Perhaps some time in the future... I hope.

[Fort Jefferson]

What about religious child abuse?

[Jasandjules]

That's still a form of brutality?

Many crimes are committed in the name of relgion...

[deadslow]

People who take religion mega seriously (fundamentalists) can't really shy away from using all means available to defend/advance their religion. The bible is absolutely jam packed with smiting, and smoting, and all manner of mass murder. It only seems to be the west's sanitised version of the love of god which can no longer be bothered with the full voltage stuff.

Or that might be absolute nonsense.

[V8mate]

Religion only works whilst the flock fear something. The more fearful you make them in their youth, the longer they'll stay faithful as an adult.

Fear and abuse will live as long as religion itself.

[Eric Mc]

What about the Catholics (and other Christians) who HELPED Jews in WW2?

[deadslow]

Eric Mc said:

What about the Catholics (and other Christians) who HELPED Jews in WW2?

Probably just a bunch of nice people. You can be a decent person AND religious, just rare

[Eric Mc]

Is that a fact - or just a prejudice?

[deadslow]

Eric Mc said:

Is that a fact - or just a prejudice?

It may be a fact, here's hoping.

[tinman0]

deadslow said:

People who take religion mega seriously (fundamentalists) can't really shy away from using all means available to defend/advance their religion. The bible is absolutely jam packed with smiting, and smoting, and all manner of mass murder. It only seems to be the west's sanitised version of the love of god which can no longer be bothered with the full voltage stuff.

Or that might be absolute nonsense.

I'm going with nonsense. You really need to read the Bible properly

Here's a quick guide:

Old Testament - pissed off God
New Testament - Jesus, happy hippy with a message of love

Christians (the clue is the in the name there) believe and follow the New Testament.
Jews believe and follow the Old Testament (hence eye for an eye vs the Christian turning of the cheek).

As for Catholics, they are just weird. They do an awful lot of good, but they do some daft things as well. On measure though, they are A Good Thing (tm).

[deadslow]

tinman0 said:

deadslow said:

People who take religion mega seriously (fundamentalists) can't really shy away from using all means available to defend/advance their religion. The bible is absolutely jam packed with smiting, and smoting, and all manner of mass murder. It only seems to be the west's sanitised version of the love of god which can no longer be bothered with the full voltage stuff.

Or that might be absolute nonsense.

I'm going with nonsense. You really need to read the Bible properly

Here's a quick guide:

Old Testament - pissed off God
New Testament - Jesus, happy hippy with a message of love

Christians (the clue is the in the name there) believe and follow the New Testament.
Jews believe and follow the Old Testament (hence eye for an eye vs the Christian turning of the cheek).

As for Catholics, they are just weird. They do an awful lot of good, but they do some daft things as well. On measure though, they are A Good Thing (tm).

All excellent points. But:

Can someone please tell us where god lives. What god looks like. Is god an alien or enhanced human? Is god alive? Does god require sex? Is there more than one god?

[beanbag]

Religion is the root of all evil.

It's a little like Communism. The idea is wonderful, but humans are simply too "flawed" to ever make it work. They are greedy, and always want more. Be it power, money or whatever.....

So the simple answer is no. It'll sadly never end.

[glazbagun]

Guh... here we go again. Once more: IMHO, this is not religious in nature- it's what happens when certain types of people (like bad Parking wardens and airport checkin agents) are given power and apparent freedom from repercussion- they turn into s. The evils of Abu Ghraib, The Pitesti Experiment, numerous war crimes by the Soviets and Nazis, Serbs <insert faction> were not related to religion, but were related to some weak/wicked point in peoples nature. So religious brutality will end when mans inhumanity to man ends. Or perhaps before.

Edited by glazbagun on Friday 22 May 23:45

[tinman0]

deadslow said:

Can someone please tell us where god lives. What god looks like. Is god an alien or enhanced human? Is god alive? Does god require sex? Is there more than one god?

Who knows. Does he even want to be found? If he did appear, would you believe him anyway?

I figure that this score will be settled one way or another during our lifetimes. Probably right at the end of it.

You're not about to turn into one of those atheists who believes in free speech, abhors others talking about their faith, yet will teach their own non faith at length to all and sundry, are you?

[deadslow]

tinman0 said:

deadslow said:

Can someone please tell us where god lives. What god looks like. Is god an alien or enhanced human? Is god alive? Does god require sex? Is there more than one god?

Who knows. Does he even want to be found? If he did appear, would you believe him anyway?

I figure that this score will be settled one way or another during our lifetimes. Probably right at the end of it.

You're not about to turn into one of those atheists who believes in free speech, abhors others talking about their faith, yet will teach their own non faith at length to all and sundry, are you?

Crikey, please answer the simple questions.

[tinman0]

deadslow said:

tinman0 said:

deadslow said:

Can someone please tell us where god lives. What god looks like. Is god an alien or enhanced human? Is god alive? Does god require sex? Is there more than one god?

Who knows. Does he even want to be found? If he did appear, would you believe him anyway?

I figure that this score will be settled one way or another during our lifetimes. Probably right at the end of it.

You're not about to turn into one of those atheists who believes in free speech, abhors others talking about their faith, yet will teach their own non faith at length to all and sundry, are you?

Crikey, please answer the simple questions.

In case you missed it.

[deadslow]

tinman0 said:

You're not about to turn into one of those atheists who believes in free speech, abhors others talking about their faith, yet will teach their own non faith at length to all and sundry, are you?

No.

[cymtriks]

heebeegeetee said:

Been hearing this week about how gleefully catholics helped the nazis slaughter jews in eastern europe and russia during WW2, and the awful, awful tales of how those lovely god fearing priests and nuns tortured and sexually abused children on an unmanageable scale in Ireland.

Religion has to appear to be modernised and civilised in countries where it simply cannot get away with how it would like to behave, but in the backwoods where people are still free to terrorise the populace, religious brutality in the name of God is free and as healthy as ever it was.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8063855.st...

The usual rubbish.

Rivalries in Eastern europe were centuries old, religion was just one part of the many divisions.

Abuse in Ireland wasn't any greater than abuse in other instititions elsewhere at the time.

Religion isn't the reason why other countries or times are or were barbaric. In fact religious orders formed the equivalent of state hospitals, schools and a basic social security system for centuries.

Stating that religious brutality is rife in the backwoods is utter rubbish. Military brutality is far more rife as is tribal, ethnic and political brutality. Religious differences are usually just an aspect of much more significant divisions in other areas.

Napoleonic France IIRC was aethist but went on campaigns of conquest accros Europe. Communism managed to kill more people than Facism and is utterly opposed to any form of religion. In fact just consider communism, probably the biggest single movement of any kind in terms of conquest, barbarism and death yet no religion at all.

[ShadownINja]

heebeegeetee said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8063855.st...

Well, methadone doesn't work, so...