Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Terrorism christian-muslim-jewish-religious terrorism

current events provoke many to think that islam is particularly terrorist. or that terrorists are mostly muslims. and then by extension that other religions are "different". and particularly our dear familiar christian faith.

regarding the jewish religion, my views have been previously expressed along the lines that the torah itself presents a long record of bloodthirty buchery. and my view of the events in gaza is that jews are still capable of rationalizing a significant amount of terrorism. btw i am not saying that jews are more terroristic than others. just that there is nothing about the religion which makes their culture imune to such expressions

but now lets move to christianity. once again, if we dig through history, the record is quite apalling. pograms, witch burnings. inquisition. slavery, crusades, colonial conquest....

but that is history, right? well slavery and apartheid are pretty recent historical examples. as is the kkk and maybe 4000 lynchings

but how about today, now?

i just recently posted a thread on a lawyer in california putting an initiative on the ballot to kill gays to avoid the wrath of god. if he will do this publically... in california.... it seriously raises the question of the private inclinations of people in less liberal regions. if i were gay, would i feel terrorized by such people and what they might do? damn straight i would!

and terrorism is really the point of such activities, isn't it? it is a not to subtle warning to stay under the radar. don't be public about being gay. don't imagine that you have the same rights and protections as others. be intimidated. be very intimidated

and why? what is held up to support this? god!!!!

imo the reason that there is not more christian terrorism has nothing to do with any inherent virtue of the religion. if our nation deteriorated into a new civil war where norms could no longer be enforced..... i am pretty sure that our christian people would be as adept at terrorism as any one else. and actually, if we consider the underbelly of events in iraq, that conclusion seems well supported. abu garib was probably staffed by chistians. my lai was done by christians. and for what ever reason, we. fire off drone attacks which are known to cause casualties of innocents

which is not to attempt to excuse the disgusting horrors of isis. my point is just that i think we delude ourselves if we deplore these deplorable events from a position of innocent moral superiority.

these horrors are bad on their own terms. there is no need to evaluate these events by how wonderful we are. or how horrible muslims are. the correct reference in my view is to see the danger of ideological fervor. whether the idea is fascism, communism, or religious fundamentalism.... the danger is the same when people become obsessively absorbed by some human conception


imo ideological obsession turns us into a compliant herd.that can be stampeded. the stampede could be planned. or be spontaneous. but planned or not, a stampede takes on a life of its own. once the stampede starts, you just never know where or how it will end. but often it ends badly. and nearly always with some trampling under foot.

Well said.