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Is Religion The Source Of Most Conflicts?

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LazyGun | 07:00 Tue 02nd Jul 2013 | Religion & Spirituality
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We have had questions and debates on this issue before on AB. I thought it might be worth revisiting given a recent article in the Guardian. Some interesting views expressed, from writers with a range of personal beliefs. All of whom are contributors to a forthcoming book "For Gods Sake", which sounds like it might be worth a read.

Have a read, see what you think :)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/02/religion-wars-conflict

Interesting comment from one of the contributors;

"terrorism occurs when you combine a sense of military and economic inferiority with a sense of moral superiority. Religion is very good at conferring a sense of moral superiority on its followers."
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One thing religion does exceptionally well is give believers the mental tools with which to do the most inhuman things imaginable. In the mind of the believer anything goes if it is sanctioned by a holy text. It doesn't matter how illogical, barbaric or stupid it is – if it's “written” then it's fine and dandy. Want to mutilate your kid's genitals? No...
00:46 Wed 03rd Jul 2013
Sandy, it may have escaped your notice but there is also no connection between belief in god and morality. Moral codes are a conceit of religions.
Obtuse, Jom? Nothing obtuse about our Sandy. It's the old Adam in him. Can't help himself.
I have always thought I ( a militant atheist) am more moral than a believer, because i do not need heaven or hell in order to behave decently. I behave decently because I have given all the alternatives my deepest consideration and have come to the conclusion that in behaving decently I am acting rightly and ethically.
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Birdie, excellent post.
"Birdie, excellent post."

Seconded.
Can you lot not see history, teaches us that God holds humans accountable for what they do to the earth. (Romans 15:4) In fact, God promises that he will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” (Revelation 11:18) and the Bible paints a portrait of the kind of people who are contributing to this “ruining.” Their predominant traits, as listed in the Bible at 2 Timothy 3:1-5, include a preoccupation with money and self to the point of caring little for God and, by extension, for his creation, including humans.
Goodlife, //Can you lot not see history, teaches us that God holds humans accountable for what they do to the earth. //

No, you've got me there. Where in the history books is that recorded?
//It is that aspect of religion being misused that concerns so many.//

Not at all. Domination is fundamental to the Abrahamic religious philosophy. (In fact the word "domination" is inextricably connected to Christianity as the name of one of the nine orders of angels.

The original purpose is perfectly apparent to anyone who reads the Old Testament objectively.

Modern Christianity has diverged from this purpose, ignoring many edicts from the original because it would have otherwise found itself a great odds against the secular morality that developed in spite if religion.

Indeed the New Testament was the first major shift coming at a time where civilization had developed such that the bloodthirsty violence central to the original purpose of the church was no longer tenable.

It is high time that everyone realised that the Bible is a case of "The Emperor's New Clothes" where the reality is simply not being acknowledged.

It is changing though. More an more I see ordinary people speaking up when they encounter discussion about religion and pointing out the truth.

We are also confronted by Christianity's cousin, Islam which shows us what happens when people actually follow what Abrahamic faith actually mean.

Educated people are waking up to the truth. The rubbish spouted by the likes of goodlife who show us the utter stupidity and ignorance required to adopt a religious attitude. The blatant hypocrisy evident in the vast numbers of child abusers in the clergy and the untenable responses by the church hierarchy, are all leading to an accelerating demise of religion.

It can't happen fast enough.
even well educated people fall for this claptrap..
//Can you lot not see history, teaches us that God holds humans accountable for what they do to the earth. //

The problem is the religious don't hold humans accountable for what humans do to the Earth.

The religious don't care. They think God is going to come and fix it all. Indeed they relish the destruction of our environment as evidence that God is coming really soon.

They want Armageddon. They want to see billions dead. And the true believers will stand up to contribute to the slaughter like the heroes of the Bible when the time comes.

Abrahamic religion is the greatest pox ever to have befallen Earth.
//even well educated people fall for this claptrap..//

By definition they are not well educated.
"Failing that, we should learn tolerance of other peoples beliefs but that doesn't look as if its going to happen any time soon."

Interesting point, does that apply to AB atheists as well? They don't seem particularly keen on tolerating the belief of others.

Major sources of violent conflict include political, economic, and social inequalities; extreme poverty; economic stagnation; poor government services; high unemployment; environmental degradation; and individual (economic) incentives to fight.
that is too broad a statement, well educated people can be religious, spiritual, there have been many estimable people over time, scientists, writers, artists who had religion at their core... wasn't Leonardo a Catholic..
i will tolerate theirs when they stop the wars..
I am not going to tolerate the beliefs of those who eagerly await the time when their stone age, irrational, ignorant misogynistic dogma dominates the Earth. Nor will I respect those who relish the destruction f most of the life on the planet.

Abrahamic religion is a poisonous philosophy.
Surely we have learn that fascism in all it s guises is disaster.

Abrahamic religion is primitive and pervasive fascism.
// well educated people can be religious, spiritual, there have been many estimable people over time, scientists, writers, artists who had religion at their core.//

The were creative not because of their religion but in spite of it.
i am not entirely convinced of that either,

http://www.deism.com/davinci.htm

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