So another religious Muslim fanatic leaves a bomb on an underground train with the intent of blowing up innocent Christians. They planned it and put the bomb together with the intent of murdering and maiming as many people as possible in the name of god.
The Myanmar Muslim Rohingyas are being massacred by militant Buddhists in a new bout of ethnic cleansing with hundreds of thousands driven from their homes, the torching of villages, shooting, rapes and pillaging. There are bodies lying in the rivers.
The Sunni Muslims are blowing up Shia Muslims and vice versa, targeting mosques and markets. Hundreds of thousands have been massacred and they all believe in the same god.
Religious schools, Madrassas and Jewish and Hindu and Buddhist and Christian schools take in the children to indoctrinate.
Atheist bloggers are hacked to death in India for suggesting religion is nuts.
The Jews and Muslims in Israel are shooting and knifing each other on a daily basis – year after year.
The fanatical Hindu extremists are attacking Muslims in India with clubs and machetes.
Christian priests abuse young children.
Saudi Arabia and Iran continue their power struggles to establish their version of Islam through proxy wars and terrorism.
The fanatical Muslim Taliban are attacking other Muslims in Afghanistan.
The fanatical ISIS are practicing genocide on the Yazidi Christians, taking sex slaves, killing and raping.
The Christians are, or have been, bombing in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Sudan.
Fundamentalist Islamic Boko Haram are on the rampage in Nigeria.
There are many more examples of persecution, intolerance, violence and evil. They all claim to have the only truth, to serve the right god and that all the others are wrong. They claim they have divine right to kill, maim, rape and pillage, to take land and impose their beliefs on others. They are all mad. They are all part of the great Religious Madness Merry-Go-Round.
Buddhist, Jew, Christian, Hindu and Muslim – all on the never ending merry-go-round of hatred, revenge, genocide and ethnic cleansing – all wanting to impose their views on the world – all insisting they are right and all others are wrong. Where does it end?
Well it seems to me, from outside as an atheist, that they can’t all be right. If there is a god, which I do not believe, there is surely only one and she would be the god of all. So why do some believe that she demands fasting, costume, diet, prayer and rites, while others insist of a totally different set of costume, rites, diet? Doesn’t it make a stupidity of it all? Isn’t it obvious that all these religions are man-made?
We need to get off the merry-go-round. Spread the love.
Contention has always been part of human nature however far back to like to go, the mind seeks to enforce its beliefs and conclusions on others. Add to this the eternal scramble for wealth and position and you have the explanation for all that you outline. As science has given us more comforts in life so there is more to fight over because we all want them. A tent , a flowing river to fish , a bow and arrow to hunt for food
is no longer good enough. We need a motor car , an airliner , a cruise ship , a house with extensive rooms and a salary to enjoy it all.
I saw grown men and women hug each other with tears in their eyes as the last signal came in from Cassini , and then the eternal mantra ‘ we have a lot more to learn ‘ . It’s one of the last utterances I expect to hear as I pass away. Dylan asked the question ‘ when will they ever learn ‘ I supply the answer when they stop behaving like human beings have always behaved.
Kertsen – there is a tinge of gloom about your reply. Cheer up. Look back over history and you can see that human beings are, on the whole, getting better. We don’t have brigands in Britain raping and pillaging. We have a good set of mostly law-abiding folk. It is mainly religious nutcases that are spoiling things. We need to get rid of what is creating the hatred and intolerance. That is what is causing division.
I must admit I have become a bit more pessimistic with old age but the situation never seems to change much. I know you won’t take offense but you always approach the problem by saying let’s get rid of the bad guys and all will be well in the world. What will we do with the pyramid of wealth slice off the top half ? that would get rid of all the rich western democracies but I suspect the pyramid would reform itself. As I see it we are all implicated in the problem from Mr Trump down. By getting better you mean getting more subtle in ways of repressing their neighbours. War is less likely because it is very expensive , so ugly posturing has replaced outward violence.
I know what you mean Kertsen. I too have found my faith in fellow humans strained and have a gloomier vision of the future – particularly with regard to what we are doing to the environment. But no – many people are pleasant and friendly, thoughtful and kind – we should focus on those.
I do not think we can get rid of that top segment of the pyramid but I do believe that through taxation and global systems we can get them to contribute more and make the world a bit fairer. That seems a laudable aim to me.
The fact that we are no longer pouring molten lead down throats gives me some cause for optimism.
I don’t think it has as much to do with religions as it does with the fact that humans are greedy and territorial — with our without religion in the mix. I’ve talked to a few atheists around here that are no different. It’s a human problem, imo. 🙁
I agree to some extent Cheryl. Though I do think that religion inflames the human spirit.
Unfortunately, religions are about wealth and power – they get those by establishing control over their followers and recruiting new members. They maintain control by playing to the dark side of human nature. We can get rid of the bad guys, ban religion, but what do we do about human nature?
This is what we do! We discuss these things in open forums like this. We work to create better education systems like Opher envisions and trust in the good side of human nature. There has been progress but we need to have so much more. So every day we pick ourselves up and keep on trying.
Spot on John. And if enough of the good guys do that then everything gets better. And if we don’t then the bad guys win.
Indeed we do. I think Opher and John spoke my thoughts.
It’s another day Jennie – let’s get to it!
I believe we have an innate need/yearning to connect to, believe in, a Greater Power. As you intimated Opher, she is a Being of Unconditional Love. It is the manmade constructs of religion – power, greed, control…. that corrupt and lead to atrocities committed ‘in the name of….’ So much horror has been committed, often it is the vulnerable amongst us who are the victims. Despite all that is reported in the media (and they have their own agendas and versions of ‘truth’) I think the tide is turning. I am an optimist at heart 🙂
Me too Raili – the world is slowly getting better – with hiccups on the way. I just hope we get good enough before we trash the whole planet and kill off the wondrous creatures. It’s beginning to look like a teenager’s bedroom.
Lol – that’s such a good, but gross, analogy.
Cheers Raili.
I don’t think religious and religions are appropriate descriptors. I suggest primitives and primitivism are infinitely more to the mark.
I could quite go for that! Thanks.