Religious fundamenalism, wherever or whoever, is the greatest threat to world peace and progress today. Our history is filled of examples where the religious mind-set stood against reason and humanity and caused death and destruction and terror - from the murder of the last ancient philosopher (the murder of Hypatia under the orders of the Bishop by being flayed alive with broken sea-shells) to the burning of the ancient philosophic schools to the crusades to the auto-de-fe`. For almost the last 2 millenia, the church has been a barrier and a hindrance to progress - once the Church had taken power and burnt all their competitors, scholarship and learning became so rare that we call the period the "Dark Ages". Every step forward made by humans has been resisted and delayed by the religious. Our understanding of anatomy used to be woeful, and thus our ability to treat wounds and illness and disease was shockingly poor. Before we understood anatomy and disease we had the Demon Theory of Disease - the church sponsored theory that diseases were caused by hidden "demons", evil spiritual beings. Nowadays we understand anatomy and hygiene - our current Germ Theory of Disease is so much better than the previous superstitions and our ability to treat accidents and illness has leaped ahead in response. Of course the church did everything they could to stand in the way of progress - banning autopsies and experiments etc. Just like they did everything they could to stand in the way of progress in astronomy and cosmology - it took the church 400 YEARS to admit they were wrong about Galileo. And even today there is STILL a resistance to evolution - incredible! I have met and conversed with many young people from the leading civilized nations of the world - from Australasia to Europe - I am thrilled and proud and joyful at the quality of young minds I have seen - lovely young human beings who believe and practice equality, who reject violence, who treasure indivuality but respect different views, who seek to build and grow, not to damage and exploit. I live in a country where children get their first PC as early as 3 years of age, who are reading and meditating by 4. Children here don't even hear gunshots, and rarely see violence. At my local primary school a disabled Iraqi boy had his place in the school play - no-one laughed, everyone smiled (it brought tears to my eyes, I live in the New New World and I love it.) Muslim womean wear scarves at will, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Wiccans practice, all people express themselves and their views freely. Out of all the people I have met in the past couple decades only TWO were Creationists. Yet the nation that pretends to lead the West (no-one outside the US believes this anymore) has fallen victim to superstition and bigotry. The great tragedy of our age is the fall of the US to religious fundamentalism. I don't hate Christians or Christianity, I hate ignorance and violence brought on by religious bigotry, where-ever they be. The US has failed its children - education standards have fallen terribly (maybe #20 in the world at best) violence is rife the media is captive and worst of all religious fundamentalism is dominant. Almost 50% in US believes the old fables of the OT. Schools are starting to sneak Creationism into textbooks - funny , if it wasn't so tragic. And now the religious fundamentalist elements have taken over the US foreign policy, the people have fallen in behind the drums of war, and the US invades where it will based on lies, trampling on innocent lives without a care (the US does not even keep figures on Iraqi deaths, thats how little they care - the Lancet estimated 100,000 so far.) Religious fundamentalism has caused the US leadership, and tragically even SOME US soldiers to think they are BETTER human beings than Arabs (but we are encouraged by the reports of US soldiers who reject all this, having a secret way out of Iraq to a safe haven.) US soldiers are told that if they shoot because they feel at risk, and it turns out an innocent family is killed - its ok, there will be no repercussions. The US invasion has caused about 100,000 innocent deaths (in a country they are bringing "peace") and no-one has been brought to account. This evil will hang around the neck of the US for centuries. THAT is what I hate. Violence and racism. It is religious fundamentalism that is the biggest threat to world peace and progress, and tragically the US has become infected. There is good in Islam and Buddhism and Wicca and Judaism and Christianity etc. And there can be evil in them too - its not the religion, its the MINDSET. The mindset that says anyone who disagrees is "hateful". The mindset that bombs abortion clinics in the name of "life" The mindset that calls for crusades, whether to Jerusalem or Iraq, Syria and Iran. That is why I speak out. 50 years ago horrible things were done. "Never again" we said, "Never. Again." But now it IS happening again - the evil mindset that murdered Jews and Gypsys etc. has now been turned on Muslims, or anyone who disagrees with the US. Most of the world can see that Bush and his Neo-cons are Hitler etc. all over again. We hope enough of the US wakes up in time. Before millions die. Again. Iasion
HI Iasion, and welcome... your post is one of the most intelligent and insightful i have read, though i read things critically, and i will challenge some of your views in a moment I too loathe and detest fundamentalism. The evils commited by that mindset mount. But i also include science! as in a funadmantalist belief that Nature is 'dead' to me is out of the frying pan (religious orthodox fundamentalism) into the fire (materialstic-mechanstic scientific worldview imposed on everyone) i am seeing those two paradgims as coming from a same root. The patriarchy. Patriarchy FEARs Nature. and it is THAt which is THe danger! Because from there it goes onto systematically create an evolving mess, which its seeking to put right causes worse problems ad nauseum, and to the detrment of all species, all of Nature So, THAt is what we must examine, both intellectually and ecstaticly if we really want to bring about radical change. to explore the source of our alienation from Nature. Because.......we ARE Nature. THIS we know. this is where we live. this is where other species live, and where our children and many future generations DEPEND on to live. so OUR behaviour whilst here is of the utmost importance. At the moment, as has been the case for many centuries, 'we'--the ones who have embraced divisive ideas--have created hells on Earth for many. And there is absolutely no need for this.the SEEd of fundamentalism is IS religions, philosophies and ideologies that have this root patriarchal fear of Nature, and it is THAT root which needs pullin out.....
atheism is not a religion, brutus, fundamentalist are extreme religious sects. I surpose you could say extremist, but thats more political, and you dont get political extremist suicide bombers, but you do get religious fundalmentalist suicide bombers. I dont think you could link atheism to either, as there is no atheist sect, just a bunch Of like minded strangers.
atheism: > belief that God does not exist atheist: > is One that believes that there is no supreme authority above man of what is good and evil. The Deceiver Lied, "You will not surely die. For God that in the day youv eat of it yours eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil." - (Genesis 3:4-5) Most all religious people are the same as atheists in knowing what is good and evil. They have become the judges (Gods) of what is good and evil. Man has become the supreme authority in the world. Can Mankind save themselves from total destruction without God? Peace be with you, Paul
whos the deceiver, dont say the devil as it was god becuase god coerced a&e to eat of the fruit. a&e are not accountable. so whos left, have a guess.
lack of belief in gods would be more like it, there may be gods but atheists dont believe in any of them. anyway,unless you believe in ALL the Gods I declare that we ALL are atheists! as you are atheistic towards some gods too! no atheist KNOWS there isnt god,b/c the way god is defined it becomes imposible to exists exactly morality comes from people,not from god,...and to survive people need to get along. we are doing ok so far, its the beliefs in gods and following "His" teachings unquestionably that causes all the problems
Oh well, here we go, another topic which is at the starting point of triggerring a debate between theism and atheism. Well, you know what you can not prove/disprove god exists. So how about this? We all don't believe in god cause it cannot be proved or disproved. So not believeing is the easy way. See, loooooooong time ago if there were no religions human might not have survived. But now if religions continue to exist humans may not survive for long.
Are Quakers fundamentalists? Quakers are menbers of the Society of Friends, a Christian movement devoted to peaceful principles. Peace be with you, Paul
When did the serpent lie? The serpent was the one telling the truth and God was lying. God tells Adam that the day he eats from the tree he will die. (Genesis 2:16-17) The serpent tells Eve that they will not die, but they will become like God. (Genesis 3:4-5) Adam and Eve eat from the tree. (Genesis 3:6-7) God says, "man has become like one of us". Verifying one of the predictions the serpent gave Eve. He then kicks Adam and Eve out of Eden. (Genesis 3:22-25) Adam (still alive) has sex with Eve and she bears Seth. (Genesis 4:25) Adam lives 800 more years after Seth's birth before he dies. (Genesis 5:4-5) So everything the Serpent said was true while God's warning proved false. ~Raithere
