Jesus H

[the lurkist]

crusades, war in iraq. 2 wars started by Christians.

[the lurkist]

Regardless of what I personally believe and as crazy as this may sound, this world needs religion. It indeed does give comfort to people in need, order, rule, morality, etc, etc. Lots of people need that, lots of people are wounded and feel bad about themselves and religion has a formula that makes you feel better. Religion is really just a language, way to express our experience of the world around us, a way to relate to each other. And at those rare times that religion is healthy and helps people, I am glad it's there. Humanity needs to feel there is something more, it needs the language of religion, humanity is not mature enough to exist without it.

opiate of the people

[dustonian]

The Iraq war is the best recent example, started nominally because of terrorism after 9-11--but al Qaeda wasn't even there, and everyone somehow ignored that fact! Oh yeah don't forget the WMD's that were never there too, can't trust them Muslims with those weapons we gave them twenty-five years ago. So Dubya and Rummie basically used religious bigotry to start a financial war (ie. a profitable shift of GDP into the military sector) in a Muslim country... meanwhile the rest of our economy was sucked dry & tanked, to say nothing of the 100,000 civilian deaths there and the 4 or 5,000 we've lost. Interesting that they can't just come out and say it's for money, but deep-seated religious prejudices still work with most people.

And let's not forget Hitler and Judaism. I think that led to a war at some point too. Not to mention all the violence that has been sparked in the Middle East since Israel was given to the Jews in 1948, resulting in a bunch of homeless Palestinians, oops! In fact, it is a fair hypothesis that religion will be the main fuel for war in that powderkeg of a region--at least in terms of convincing the masses to support state violence. Clearly defining "the other" and painting a "them versus us" scenario has worked for political leaders and the financial elite throughout human history.

Cool map climb2core.

[pigsteak]

lets not forget Big O is continuing the failed policies, and ramping up in Afghanistan.

[dollyjn]

History repeats itself. People can make a difference. There are many choices to be made and lots of smoke screens being put up.
I could point fingers here and there at politicians, parties, religious groups. But are we not all people just interested in the best quality of life possible for us?
I realize this is in a sense a generalization.
The key is for each person to involve themselves in organizations to begin the drive to change/growth.

As long as people have differing viewpoints, no matter the source (cultural, religious, etc.), that may measure their perception on the value of human life we will have war in the name of what another person(s) may perceive as the right thing to do.

Is there war because of religion, control of land, or control over oil/money/corporate control?

[pkananen]

What a second, people are saying that the war in Iraq was started by Christians? As in, America? Some people argue it's a 'Christian' nation, but all that means is it has more Christians than any other religion. Christians certainly didn't start the war in Iraq.

[bcombs]

Is this true or not true (I really am asking): http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 09925.html

If it is true, then God instructed a Christian to invade another country. Seems cut and dry to me.

[pkananen]

Whether or not it's true (and, by true, I mean he thinks God said that), I think it's irrelevant to the discussion. Even if one person felt he was on a mission from God, the war had the misguided support from plenty of countries and thousands of soldiers who went to fight, clearly not for religious reasons.

[bcombs]

If the one person was someone other than the leader of the free world, I might agree.

Now everybody in the 313, put your hands up and follow me!

[pkananen]

That's my whole point. You can't say it was started by 'Christians' (plural) if it was started by the misguided and explicitly un-Christian actions of one person who claimed to have special revelation.