Posted on 06/08/2009 11:04:36 AM PDT by ventanax5
“There is far more violence in the Bible than in the Qur’an; the idea that Islam imposed itself by the sword is a Western fiction, fabricated during the time of the Crusades when, in fact, it was Western Christians who were fighting brutal holy wars against Islam.” So announces former nun and self-professed “freelance monotheist,” Karen Armstrong. This quote sums up the single most influential argument currently serving to deflect the accusation that Islam is inherently violent and intolerant: All monotheistic religions, proponents of such an argument say, and not just Islam, have their fair share of violent and intolerant scriptures, as well as bloody histories. Thus, whenever Islam’s sacred scriptures — the Qur’an first, followed by the reports on the words and deeds of Muhammad (the Hadith) — are highlighted as demonstrative of the religion’s innate bellicosity, the immediate rejoinder is that other scriptures, specifically those of Judeo-Christianity, are as riddled with violent passages. …
(Excerpt) Read more at meforum.org ...
One more to ponder:
More than one god.
Okay...
Please read post #40.
Atheism is religious worlview. Like God-centered and agnostic, atheism is never politically, culturally, or religiously neutral.
One’s worldview ( atheistic, God-centered, or agnostic) will have non-neutral political, cultural, and religious consequences. These consequences are not neutral for the individual or for society.
“nearly all of the violence is in the OLD TESTAMENT”
And all of it is: (A) either an example of the consequences of disobeying G-d’s will or (B) candidly deserved.
(A) Most of the killing was due to screw ups by by tribesmen -— e.g., David decided to get lucky with Bathsheba -— not “punishment” from G-d so much as “fruit” of sin.
(B) I heard people complaining about the treatment of Cananites the other day (where most of the killing is). Cananites burned children alive as sacrifices and practiced beastiality, among other lovely practice -— singled out for destruction by G-d
Similarly, the Philistines were such bastards the Eqyptians recorded their sea attacks.
Bronze age was a rough time.
Well, religion can be, and has been, and still is, manipulated in the same way. Like I said earlier, it is not the fault of Atheism that men used it to further their own goals. Atheism is just not believing in certain figments of Man's imagination. That's all.
That's where (spiritual) emptiness leads.
That's highly subjective. One man's spiritual treasure, is another's garbage.
Given that Jews and Christians have been around longer, I’d say yes. But what do I know?
A being created by an infallible being, should technically not err when given free choices as well...
why?
Mel
Using your Free Will for evil is not an error, in the sense of a mistake: "I was given two choices which both looked ok and I happened to pick the wrong one".
Choosing to sin is not an unlucky guess, it is a deliberate act of rejection against the source of goodness.
The fact that you or I can both, at any time, reject the Creator of the Universe is not a design flaw. The whole point of Free Will is that we are free. If we were not free to choose God - or free to reject him - then we would be stones: - the whole of our human reality would have no meaning.
It may not be as funny as you think to God ;-)
“Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?”
Plainly put — if that’s the way God IS, then you have no right to complain about how He uses His Creation - since you are but a created being for His pleasure and purpose.
Or even more plainly, don’t complain if the cop gives you a ticket even though you *feel* that the speed limit should be 10 mph higher.
Yes, and your point being? Even the butterfly flapping its wings, will result in consequences...
Yeah, Hindu Ghandi was a real friend to the Jews.
Like atheist Stalin.
Yes, you know Jesus and those Apostles — they sure hated those Jews!
And those peaceful Hindus, persecuting Christian converts. I can talk, I used to be a Hindu whose parents are from Sri Lanka.
Like I said, a being with free will, created by an infallible being, should still make the correct choices, because otherwise it leads to the removal of the 'infallibility' quality of the creator.
Choosing to sin is not an unlucky guess, it is a deliberate act of rejection against the source of goodness.
One man's sin, another's virtue.
The fact that you or I can both, at any time, reject the Creator of the Universe is not a design flaw. The whole point of Free Will is that we are free. If we were not free to choose God - or free to reject him - then we would be stones: - the whole of our human reality would have no meaning.
A being is not exactly free, if it is threatened with detrimental consequences, for choices that it makes, before it does so.
However....A God-centered or agnostic religious worldview may or may not have formal organizational ties.
So...Atheists often claim that their religious belief system is not a “religion” since it may or may not have any formal organizational ties. Well,...Their reasoning can also be applied to those with God-centered or agnostic belief systems as well. However...Each of the worldviews (atheistic, agnostic, or God-centered) are impossible to prove and therefore all are built on a foundation of religious faith.
Largely tribal-on-tribal, with the Hindus having to suffer the consequences of the dubious convenience of labeling almost anyone in the Subcontinent as Hindu.
That aside, your silence on the violence against Hindus and fellow Christians, by the Christians in the North-East of India, is troubling, and speaks of wilful ignorance.
The Naga and Mizo Christians have perpetrated violence against Hindus and tribals, in magnitudes several times more than what the Christians have had to suffer, referring to your previous post.
Just read about the NLTF and other Christian outfits that are active in the places I've mentioed.
PS: You say you were Hindu. What do you mean by that?
More people were killed in the last 100 years in the name of NO God than all of the other religions combined.
Atheism - "not believing in supernatural beings produced by Man's imagination" - killed over 100 million people in the 20th Century. And that's not counting a single abortion.
Fanatical Jihad, the Thugees, the Black Death, Malaria - they are all pikers compared with the single largest source of Democide ever, which is "not believing in supernatural beings produced by Man's imagination"
I was not referring to Gandhi, or what he said. The fool advocated non-violence to the Hindus far more than he did, to the Jews or others. He ended up being killed, for that.
Your example was so pathetic, it would be like me using that Goldstein fellow who shot dead Muslims praying in a mosque, to describe all Jews.
Your hostility (”pathetic”) to an non-offensive post proves my point, as well.
I was a Hindu ... born and raised as one. Then became an atheist, then agnostic then Christian.
As for Christian violence, that is the exception — not the norm in Christianity. A convert to Christianity who doesn’t lay down his arms against a brother is no real Christian.
Perhaps you’d take a crack against suicide bombing Hindu Tamil Tigers too. Or maybe I can use phrases like “wilful (sp) ignorance” too.
You seem to have a soft spot for these idol worshiping polytheists! Curious.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.