Man who burned Quran shot dead in Sweden

I think it's clear that there is a pretty widespreaed interpretation of Islam in which the murderer did something ok or good - I'm remembering the adoring mobs in Pakistan, supporting someone who killed a governor, because that governor defended some alleged blasphemy by a Christian woman.

Similarly, the mainstream interpretation of Judaism supports Palestinian genocide, and popular interpretations of Hinduism supports caste atrocities and cow lynching.


In all these cases, the text may or may not be ambiguous, but what matters is how faithful people interpret it.
 
berbatrick said:
I think it's clear that there is a pretty widespreaed interpretation of Islam in which the murderer did something ok or good - I'm remembering the adoring mobs in Pakistan, supporting someone who killed a governor, because that governor defended some alleged blasphemy by a Christian woman.

Similarly, the mainstream interpretation of Judaism supports Palestinian genocide, and popular interpretations of Hinduism supports caste atrocities and cow lynching.


In all these cases, the text may or may not be ambiguous, but what matters is how faithful people interpret it.
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If religion was done away with do believe for a second that the above wouldn't happen? Territorial disputes and classism won't go away and underpin two of those at least.

It's not so much how the faithful interpret texts as how manipulative leaders twist them to gain support, just as with nationalism.
 
Jippy said:
If religion was done away with do believe for a second that the above wouldn't happen? Territorial disputes and classism won't go away and underpin two of those at least.

It's not so much how the faithful interpret texts as how manipulative leaders twist them to gain support, just as with nationalism.
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Well of course there would still be violence against based on whatever groups replaced religion.
But I think it's wrong that religion is irrelevant- not just because it forms in- and out-groups, but also because of the content of religious texts and how people believe them. And I'm not sure it's all about leaders and twisting, vs a sincere belief.
 
Nevilles.Wear.Prada said:
Not all religion are malignant, invasive and/or agressive.
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I'd suggest that you should say faith is not that.

Organized religion very much is. Control of the masses and taking wealth is why all major organized churches were founded. The Vatican is home to some of the most valuable art in the world, they didn't buy it. The CofE is one of the country's largest landowners, mostly aquired under fear of excommunication and punishment from God. Including a good portion of Knightsbridge.

Faith is not harmful, organized religion twists faith into a tool for gain, and that is where the trouble comes. From Peter the Hermit in the first crusade onwards, every large organized religion has a bigger body count than pretty much anything but hitler, lenin and henry kissinger.
 
Jippy said:
If religion was done away with do believe for a second that the above wouldn't happen? Territorial disputes and classism won't go away and underpin two of those at least.

It's not so much how the faithful interpret texts as how manipulative leaders twist them to gain support, just as with nationalism.
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Exactly. Religion is the venue, not the cause. People are very critical of religion but it fulfills certain needs humans, mainly a purpose as belonging to something bigger than yourself. Remove religion and they might fill the void with something even more dangerous like nationalism. But it can also be filled with something positive like believing in human rights and science. It worked for quite an amount of time but the last decades has hollowed it out, so people perceive it as fraudulent and hypocritical and double down on other philosophies again. The way to prevent such stuff from happening would be education and social justice.

There are studies for instance that prove that extremism in the middle east correlates with drought and that the ISIS was essentially born to the longest drought period in known history. So in a way, climate change drives extremism, drives terror.
 
Considering that my father had to watch his chinese christian family friends get strangulated to death in front of him by Mao´s red guard ive never been a fan of the whole lets do away with religion attitude. I frankly think our secular state the provides freedom of religion and freedom from religion is the best we can do for now. A world without religion is unrealistic anyway as much as much of religion is down to unrealistic beliefs.
 
berbatrick said:
Well of course there would still be violence against based on whatever groups replaced religion.
But I think it's wrong that religion is irrelevant- not just because it forms in- and out-groups, but also because of the content of religious texts and how people believe them. And I'm not sure it's all about leaders and twisting, vs a sincere belief.
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It's important as a tool for rallying people, but certainly not unique in that aspect and would quickly be replaced if it was gotten rid of.

I'm not convinced by the bolded- it's how it's taught and what is emphasised that's important. If you've grown up in one of the blood and thunder religions that's all fire and brimstone, 'eye for an eye', then chances are you will be more intolerant than those who've been taught to 'turn the other cheek'. I'm sure most or all the other religions have similar contradictions in their texts.
 
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