Religion Is Supposed To Be A Force For Unity, But Is It?

[goodlife]

Former prime minister Tony Blair writes in the Observer newpaper that an abuse of religion, is a common motive behind recent acts of terrorism.

"The battles of this century, are less likely to be the product of extreme political ideology - like those of the 20th century -but they could easily be fought around the questions of cultural or religious differences"

This scripture shows why - Mark 7 v 6-8

[Old_Geezer]

Is it ? Surely only a force for unity one one has beaten up all the rest and converted all to the same faith.

[pixie373]

It's anything but a force for unity.

[beso]

The Abrahamic religions all share the same totalitarian fascist formula for unity.

Peace will come once everyone is signed up to the same doctrine and those who won't have been killed.

They are .

[atalanta]

If there was only one religion, it might be a force for unity. But all religions have split time and time again into smaller and smaller percentages of the main religion, each one believing they are right and the rest are wrong.
For instance, Christianity has RC, Orthodox, Coptic, CofE, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans and swarms of others. Each bunch thinks they are closest to the Truth. When it comes to Muslims, you can see from every newspaper's headlines these days that some sections of that faith have such a fierce belief in Their own truth that they will ( and do) kill for it. I don't call that a force for unity, do you ?

[ll_billym]

Asks if religion is divisive... Then, as supposed explanation recommends a scripture about people arguing about what's right or wrong behaviour with regards to washing hands which goes on to advise that people be put to death for doing something that Moses didn't like.

The irony son.

[vulcan42]

No it is not a force for unity, how could it be? It was designed to subjugate the masses using lies and the fear of the unknown, hardly the base for unification.It's ironic that goodlife asks this question when his/her own sect broke away from the main faith. From the original international student movement formed by Charles Taze Russel, there have been four more breakaways, jehovahs witness being one of them.

[atalanta]

I'm still waiting for goodlife to explain why the OT books of Isaiah, Job and Amos all claim that god is the source of evil.
If he remains silent on this subject, I shall have to assume that he accepts the truth of the bible. That god is the source of evil.
Not a very good basis for any religion, wouldn't you think ?

[goodlife]

atalanta@The God of the Bible is not evil, all it show you don,t know your Bible.

[mibn2cweus]

The evil lies with those who presume to be doing His bidding.

[atalanta]

I do read my bible. Time for you to read yours, I think.
I quote yet again:
Isaiah ch 45, v.7 " I am the lord and there is none else. I form the light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil. I am the Lord that doeth all these things."
Also, Amos, ch 3, v.6 "Shall evil befall a city, and the Lord hath not done it ?"
Also Job, ch 2 v 10, "Shall we not receive good at the hands of god, and shall we not receive evil ?"
If you have any explanations, I am all agog.

[vulcan42]

Come on goodlife, start the new year with something other than,
"" all it show you don,t know your Bible"". It's condescending.

[FrogNog]

I think Tony Blair hoists himself by his own petard when he says that.
Other than that. you have no persuasion over me Goodlife. I am as confirmed an atheist as it is possible to be.

[naomi24]

Vulcan, you don't really expect Goodlife to enter into discussion, surely? He's here to preach - that's all. It earns him Brownie points.

[FrogNog]

Peaceful and loving Goodlife? Misunderstood? Misread?
I think not.

Genesis:
And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother." But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so he put him to death also.

"Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Exodus:
At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.

[DaisyNonna]

So what did he actually mean?

[naomi24]

Who? God or Goodlife?

[DaisyNonna]

Blurry Blair

[naomi24]

I take it he meant that the people currently slaughtering others in the name of their religion are abusing their religion (not that I agree with him). I think Goodlife, in his eagerness to tell us there is only one true religion - his - misunderstood that though.

[vulcan42]

No naomi, I don't really expect goodlife to enter into any discussion but I am an optimist so I hope he will explain one day and we will understand the bible, just like he does, allegedly.