They also later pushed their puritan beliefs on those who didn't want to believe.

Salem Witch Trials. Indians. The list is a pretty short one, but they did exactly what the spanish inquisition and other christian inquisitions ever did.

IRT ThornyRose.

You make some excellent points about religious wars. Pope Urban II had the IDEAL circumstances to call for a crusade in the later 11th century. Widespread unemployment, disease, hunger and famine. With those things alone, he was able to call a grand army of Christendom together, for his own greed. They saved nobody, they slaughtered all, Moslem, Jews and Christians alike. They were no different to these salvation-starved Crusaders.

 

If remember my World Religion class correctly almost all major religions have several elements in common. First a charismatic leader. Then a growing following. Next (after the leader’s death) comes an authoritative book. And finally an authoritative government that uses that religion to dominate followers and wage war. Joseph Campbell in his book Hero with a Thousand Faces, traces this same pattern not just through major world religions but also through all forms of ancient mythology.
Now,as far as major religions I don’t think many if any have no blood on their hands. The Mormons were mentioned but they moved west after being massacred, and then perpetuated a couple massacres once they got out here. One I aware of that is pretty clean perhaps is the Native American Church. The Native Americans fought for their land and survival but they pretty much left God out of it, however, believing in Ghost Dancers did get them massacred at Wounded Knee.

 

Don't forget the brand new Church of Oral Sex, led by bishops Nympho, Rain, Rockprincess, Sexserve, LilAsh, CountryMama, Julie22, and anyone I accidentally left out.

WE HAVEN'T KILLED ANYONE (yet)

 

The same pattern can be observed in most cults. In fact, one might argue that cults are just fledgling religions, and religions are just mature cults.

 

What, have I been excommunicated already??

 

It is beyond me how intelligent people still fall for superstitious claptrap.

I like what Dawkins said when he pointed to a number of gods -- Zeus, Thor, Ra -- who people once worshiped, sacrificed for, and prayed to. These gods are no longer in fashion. No one believes in them anymore.

The only difference between atheists and believers in the Abrahamic religions -- who are skeptics when it comes to these discarded gods -- says Dawkins, is that "Some of us just go one god further."

 

This one's for Kimiko

That's what you get for talking with your mouth full...:-D

 

My Viewpoint- Dont attack, because its a viewpoint FROM ME, not saying THIS IS CORRECT.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Dont believe in god, now if theres no god, then its people who invented the idealism, its people who wrote the bible, its people who "expressed" gods will, in tern, Its people who started "The Holy War" They fought for someone created by someone else in my Opinion, Religion isn't to blame, the people who made it are.


I havent studied other religions So i cant talk anything on those the above goes for the whole Christ, Son of God type of idealism

 

Well, I'm not going to attack you .....
....in fact I'm in complete accord...:-D

 

If you're trying to say that man created God in his own image, that's pretty much what Joseph Campbell said too.

But as for me I believe in a living God and if you guys arn't careful I tell you how I proved that many years ago.:twisted:

 

Joseph Campbell? Is he the guy who made the soup?

 

ZYZX you are promoting a false religion in any Church of Oral Sex that does not include Kimiko. Please see the cock sucking thread in the Sexuality Thread to correct your ways. It would serve you right if she sucked your brains out.

 

No Joseph Campell in the guy who wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces, where he shows that the concept of God is something man fullfills because we cannot face our own demise.

The guy who made the soup is named Dorance, or at least that's the name of the heirs to the fortune. He lives in the Northeast corner of Wyoming but thinks he owns the whole state.

You ask I answer. But I warn you, you are courting a dissertation.

 

I know, I was taking the piss, he was a sad loss to american anthropology. My favourite comment from him is "The priests used to say that faith can move mountains, and nobody believed them. Today the scientists say that they can level mountains, and nobody doubts them."

 

That's us MM. You can also tell someone there are 300 trillion stars in the universe and they'll believe you But you hang a sign on something that says wet paint and they'll have to touch it to be sure.

 

NO DEAR KIMIKO, my edit to put you FIRST, failed to work, tried 3 times.

If my computer doesn't like you, I am going to fry it.

 

I hate to admit it, but I'm the one that has to touch the paint....

 

Stumbler, it was an accident due to my poor ability to type correctly. I made the correction., hope I am still a member in good standing now.

 

Warning - wet penis

 

Where, Where???