Forums > Social Discussion > When does religion become extremeism

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BumfroIts a bum with an afro...
223 posts
Location: Newcastle NSW


Posted:
I guess the most obvious form of religious extremeism is terrorism which we all know of.....
But what about other forms?
The one i most remember is the last election when the new party called the Family First party, a christian party, first came into the spotlight. A party member said in an interview that lesbians should be burnt at the stake as witches and that buddhist temples, Mosques, bottle shops and synagoues(sorry about the spelling) are "satan stronholds"

This sort of narrow minded descrimination sh!ts me so much, just wondering what you guys think or know about it.

Racism is a weapon of mass destruction


SethisBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,762 posts
Location: York University, United Kingdom


Posted:
Erm, extremeism in any form is a road to disaster. What ever the faith. The only religion I've come across so far that has a notable lack of violence in it's history is Buddhism, so if I wanted to support any at all then it would be that.

If you gave me the name of that guy mentioned above, I'd happily lobotomize him, on the basis that someone that intolerant doesn't deserve to speak and spread more intolerence.

After much consideration, I find that the view is worth the asphyxiation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.


KyrianDreamer
4,308 posts
Location: York, England


Posted:
Hear hear!

religion becomes extremism when you can stop conversing logically about it, just not everyone shoves their extremism in everyone else's face....

Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive

Shalom VeAhavah

New Hampshire has a point....


ed209Ed: geek, staffer, past participle
122 posts
Location: London, UK


Posted:
I think when people stop questioning their beliefs. When people bloody-mindedly listen to everything they're told without asking themselves such question as 'Why?' or 'Eh?', it leads to problems because such unquestioning faith can be exploited.

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
"Of all the truths in the world, if you pick one and follow it blindly, it becomes a falsehood and you a fanatic." - anonymous

I think when any person regards their religion as an absolute for everyone, it crosses a line. That includes Family First, or any evangelical, approach.

When it impedes on the health and mental well being of someone, it crosses a line. This is in reference to those who refuse medical help believing or the poisonous snake dancers who believe "God will save them".

When it presses upon my civil rights and liberties, such as poticians who can not figure out we have the right to seperation of church and state, and free choice. This includes those who would use religion as a way to justify terrorizing or tormenting dr's, neighbors, family and others because they fear difference based on ignorance.

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


IcerSILVER Member
just a shadow of my former self...
205 posts
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand


Posted:
Kyrian- "religion becomes extremism when you can stop conversing logically about it"
just wot is logic? logic is based on your own perception of reality, which in turn is based on your religion beliefs, or lack of religous beiliefs. Anyone who dovoutly believes in somethin that you dont will not be able to converse 'logically' to you about it. if you dont believe and fully understand what they believe in, then what they say wont seem logical.

Pele- "Of all the truths in the world, if you pick one and follow it blindly, it becomes a falsehood and you a fanatic." - anonymous
but isnt that what 'faith' is all about it? believing in something, without question. even when 'evidence' disagrees with what you believe or have faith in?

ed209- "I think when people stop questioning their beliefs. When people bloody-mindedly listen to everything they're told without asking themselves such question as 'Why?' or 'Eh?', it leads to problems because such unquestioning faith can be exploited."
i think that is exactly right, it is when the faith in a particular reality is exploited and twisted. i sont know of any religion that actually espouses the mass murder of 'innocent' ppl. the crusades are an example when christian believes were twisted to suit the goals of certain men, and now we see muslims being twisted towards the goals of other men. my understandign of the Quran is that it says NOT to take the lives of others, but this has been overlooked by the media hype which sees ALL muslims as extremist terrorists, bent on the exterminintion of the infidels.

i could go on and on, but i wont be able to accuratly answer the question and everyone wil have their own views on it anyway. 'extremism' is a subjective term and everyone will have their view on what it actually means. there will not be only one universal or generalisable answer to this question. it is interestign to see how different ppl approach the question tho. id be interested to see if anyone considers themselves an extreme believer in some theology.

It took a while, but once their numbers dropped from 50 down to 8, the other dwarves started to suspect Hungry.


onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
IMO, extremism occurs when religious views are directed towards harming, or encouraging harm, towards others.

And the precursor to that is when the religious focus on what they see as the 'faults' in others, rather than looking within for the 'faults' in themselves.

From there on it's a slippery slope which can lead to the oppression and violence of extremism.

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


Sakura_MoonHop's Kitten Jester.
1,803 posts
Location: Wonderland igloo, Vic, Australia


Posted:
That is so stupid.
*Runs and hides* that includes bisexuals..doesnt it?

.:Pink Exocutioner:.

I am Jack's Raging Bile Duct...

Loving you from the deepest part of my loins.



KyrianDreamer
4,308 posts
Location: York, England


Posted:
I did throw out an overly simplistic statement, partly from having no energy, and partly, once I wrote it, to see if I was called on it. Indeed, ed209's statement of when you stop questioning it is probably the most accurate. But basically the ability to have a calm discussion, and to be ok with people questioning your religion, and talk about the answers to their questions, is what I was getting at. I've been told I'm delving too deeply into the parts which are hardest to understand, but anyone who was willing to discuss things with me without saying "because so and so said so" has gained my respect.

Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive

Shalom VeAhavah

New Hampshire has a point....


~Leah~GOLD Member
addict
584 posts
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia


Posted:
I don't believe in religion. I believe in myself. I don't need people to tell me all about some guy I'll never meet who did all that stuff like walk on water. Yeah, that's true! Religion makes me really mad mad

Never hold your farts in! They travel up your spine, go into your brain and that's where shitty idea's come from.


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Personally, I think it all starts when people believe in unnatural “supernatural” powers.



From their it’s a downhill spiral into zealotism and baptism by fire or proxy.



ubbangel

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
I think it's very possible to believe in supernatural powers and scientifically undetectable energies etc; without being a religious extremist (for example, all the 'new-agers' who manage to maintain unusual beliefs without the harrasment of others associated with extremism).

Equally, people can 'cease to question' without becoming extremist- that's pretty much the basis of 'faith', and there are many, many good people out there who base their life on faith, yet are the polar opposite to religious fanatics.

IMO, most of the characteristics associated with religious extremists can also be found in people who are totally OK.

Surely the distinguishing characteristic of fanatics is soley that they are compelled to push their beliefs on others.

---------------------

Maybe we should be careful here, because, in finding convenient characteristics to associate with fanaticism/extremism, there's a danger of the same kind of 'scape-goating' behaviour that extremism itself engages in.

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


ed209Ed: geek, staffer, past participle
122 posts
Location: London, UK


Posted:
I believe there's a difference between faith and blind faith. A person of faith can believe in something regardless of the 'evidence'. But never ever questioning your faith means you're not really thinking about it. You never take the time to explore what your faith actually means. So an example:

A Christian might ask himself: How does a beneficient creator allow suffering in the world. An Atheist (and I'm considering atheism as a faith) might ask himself: If God didn't create the world, how did it happen? By questioning our faiths, I think we make them stronger. We challenge them and in so doing, validate them for ourselves and also arrive at better answers than those that might be fed to us. Not doing so leaves you vulnerable to being taught twisted, incomplete versions of faiths. Case in point: the Islamic extremists that Icer mentioned are being taught to kill people in the name of a faith that says that killing is wrong.

Although I think dave's point about inflicting beliefs on other people is pretty spot on too. There is kind of a fine line though between wanting to discuss with others and wanting to inflict beliefs. Christian friends have on occasion given me tapes to listen to in the hope that I'll convert - but I would hardly call that extremism. The guy at Oxford Circus who tells me I'm going to hell through his megaphone is coming a bit closer, but he's still a while away from some extremists. He's aggressive but isn't particularly encouraging aggression.

So maybe there's no transition between religion and extremism - just a spectrum. People's position on that spectrum would depend on lots of factors including how thoroughly they've considered their beliefs and their desire to inflict beliefs on others by force or aggression?

SethisBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,762 posts
Location: York University, United Kingdom


Posted:
I second everything said by ed209 in the above post. Although I would probably pick Christianity and the Crusades as a better example of killing in the name of a religion that says killing is wrong. They killed more people than Islamic terrorism ever will.

After much consideration, I find that the view is worth the asphyxiation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Good for you Dave. Apologies if my previous statement was misleading, but I’m not sure I understand what you meant when you said “for example, all the 'new-agers' who manage to maintain unusual beliefs without the harassment of others associated with extremism).” To clarify, I was talking about belief and worship of God/god/gods ie. mythical “ supreme being or beings” conjured up by people to explain things they cannot understand.

People who cease to question are led by the nose. And I’m yet to meet a person, of any religion, who doesn’t try and push their beliefs on others, either directly or indirectly by passive persuasion. By passive, I mean they way they refuse to accept others as equals, and look down their nose at the beliefs on others.

Yes, belief in religion seems harmless enough at first, but the addiction grows and fervour builds as hatred of non-believers rises until religious beliefs become extremism. This is typified by the actions of the Family First party in their animosity to homosexuality, abortion, competing religions, bottle shops and other “satan strongholds”. By the same token, it’s also difficult to ignore the christian backed, Bush’s led invasion of Iraq and the Patriot act, as anything other than religious persecution.

So to answer the question, I think religion extremism starts as soon as you join a religious organisation, because once you enter, you forfeit your free-will for religious dogma. And history is littered with examples of where this has led. The crusades, inquisition, holocaust and reformation being amongst the most obvious examples.

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


IcerSILVER Member
just a shadow of my former self...
205 posts
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand


Posted:
another point to be aware of, and ed209 touched on it, when he said he was taking atheism as a religion, is what exactly is a religion? is it any faith based theology of what constitutes reality? if it is, then there is a strong arguement, that EVERYONE is religous to varying degrees. everyone has a perception or idea about reality, and NO sinlge reality, whether it be christian, islamic, buddists, hindu or atheist can prove that they are right or that others are wrong. no one can prove without a shadow of a doubt that God exists, but then no one can prove he doesnt. the same goes for every other world view. not a single one can prove conclusively that they are right, ppl accept them on faith. belief in evolution takes as much faith as a belief in the bible or the quran. no one theory of 'life' can answer all the questions we need answered.

i think ed209 said it best also when he said "maybe there's no transition between religion and extremism - just a spectrum. People's position on that spectrum would depend on lots of factors including how thoroughly they've considered their beliefs and their desire to inflict beliefs on others by force or aggression?"
i think that is spot on, there is a continuum or spectrum within every religion (world view) and there will be 'average' adherents and those that are at the extremes. this is a complex discussion and i think that is prolly the best answer that most ppl should be able to agree upon.

It took a while, but once their numbers dropped from 50 down to 8, the other dwarves started to suspect Hungry.


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
religion

n 1: a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny.

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


ed209Ed: geek, staffer, past participle
122 posts
Location: London, UK


Posted:
OK a small distinction: I didn't mean atheism isn't a religion, but it is a system of faith. No matter how much we can back up our views with science and theory, no atheist can be 100% sure that he/she is right. So at the end of the day, atheism is as much a question of faith as a religion is.

So not everyone is religious, but everyone does have a belief/faith? Except agnostics, who aren't sure.

StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Icer, in case you can’t tell, NOT everyone is religious, as you suggest.

ed204, is it not an oxymoron to suggest that people who deny the existence of god belong to a system of faith?

If we look at both the current and historic examples of religion extremism, it would be difficult to deny that “religion is the root of all evil.”

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


ed209Ed: geek, staffer, past participle
122 posts
Location: London, UK


Posted:
I think that because believing and disbelieving in God both eventually boil down to a certain inescapable uncertainty. So yes, at a fundamental level, both involve a degree of faith.

Religion is the root of all evil?? Please! So we've identified lots of cases where religious fervour has led to disasters - Crusades, Inquisition, etc. But this goes back to my earlier point that these things happen because people let their beliefs become twisted by others. They have let their religions become tools which other people can use to control them, be they crusading knights or suicide bombers.

So really the root of these problems are the people who are doing the twisting. And as far as I'm concerned, that eventually boils down to a quest for power/conquest/territory/wealth/status. An example would be the heads of al-Qaeda, who in my mind, are capitalists first, w***ers second, and Muslims third. Greed is a root of evil - either directly, or indirectly, through the manipulation of those with religious views.

ed209Ed: geek, staffer, past participle
122 posts
Location: London, UK


Posted:
And ironically, I think 'religion is the root of all evil' is a pretty extremist view! smile

StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Perhaps, but history and current “global” events suggest suggests otherwise.

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


SethisBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,762 posts
Location: York University, United Kingdom


Posted:
Here I would say that Religion hurts more than it helps, but not that it is inherently evil.

The major problem is that almost all religions have a degree of ambiguity. At the simplest level, it boils down to "Do not kill" and "Smite/vengeance upon the unholy". These two phrases occur in one form or another in most religions, and the majority will choose to support the one that gives them the advantage in the short term. For example, it is politically astute to say "God is with us" just before you invade Iraq or Crash a plane into a tower because that means every "Faithful" person must back you or be seen as unfaithful. So the fact that religion is used as a matter of political expediency doesn't mean that it's bad, just that it can be seen in a bad way.

Example: A kitchen knife isn't "Bad" or "Evil" but you can still kill someone with it.

And does anyone else think that it is incredibly ironic that both G.W. Bush and Al Qa'eda claim that "God" is on their side?

After much consideration, I find that the view is worth the asphyxiation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.


IcerSILVER Member
just a shadow of my former self...
205 posts
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand


Posted:
i think one of the problems is varying definitions of key terms here.
stone points out that religion= belief in supernatural powers (ill get back to supernatural powers in a minute).
another equally valid definition is that:
religion= A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
which is abit broader, but still just as valid. using this definition, EVERYONE is religous, they may not have zeal, but but they will have devotion to varying degrees, some may have very little devotion, but it is still there. that devotion will be based on faith as ed has repeatedly pointed out.
and back to supernatural powers. just what are supernatural powers? powers that science cant prove or explain and that are perceived as not real or actual? go back in history and things we take for granted were considered witchcraft and supernatural. go into the future and who knows what will considered 'natural' that we at present consider supernatural. we all seem to be missing the point that we all are basing our arguements on ethnocentric viewpoints, tryin to establish universals for all human cultures and societies. who are we to tell the kaluli ppl in papua new guinea that their shamans are faking it, and that a witch is not responsible for their lost pig? for them, witchcraft and magic are as natural as eating and drinking. the !Kung bushmen in the kalahari have strong culture based around magic and interaction between the physical world and what they believe as the 'real' world (which us westerners would term the spiritual). my point is that we ae tryin to impose our western ideas of faith and religion on all cultures the world over. it is egotistical to believe that western euro-american beliefs are the way in which the rest of the worlds cultures should view the world.
i know some of that was off the topic, but i think soem ppl need to try and excape the confines of their own narrow minded view of religion and faith and try and realise that not everyone in the world is of european descent and has the same view of the world and reality. if we are to have a proper discussion about these terms and how they apply to universals, then we need to define these terms without using subjective ethnocentrically wrapped definitions.

It took a while, but once their numbers dropped from 50 down to 8, the other dwarves started to suspect Hungry.


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Don’t think so Icer. That’s faith not religion. ie faith = a cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.


supernatural:

1.Of or relating to existence outside the natural world.
2.Attributed to a power that seems to violate or go beyond natural forces.
3.Of or relating to a deity.
4.Of or relating to the immediate exercise of divine power; miraculous.
5.Of or relating to the miraculous.


work now, l8r smile

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


IcerSILVER Member
just a shadow of my former self...
205 posts
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand


Posted:
nope sorry. here is the link:
https://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=religion
and the full definition of RELIGION not FAITH was
religion:
1a)Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
1b)A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2)The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3)A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4)A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

you will find the definition you used and the one i used both listed there. that was one of my points. my other point which you seem to have also missed was that we cant use culturally defined terms to discuss things about ALL cultures.

your first definition uses the term 'natural', i already pointed ou that many cultures perceive 'natural' as vastly different realities.
your second one refers to "powers that 'seem' to violate or go beyond 'natural' forces", theres that term natural again.
each culture will have a different definition of deity, and not thing which we are trying to encapsulate as religion has what, by any stretch of the imagination, could be termed a deity.
your last two definitions use miraculous, which once again is a subjective word based on your own perception of reality. also divine is a subjective term also.

if you still missed my point, try reading some of these:
"Performance" by Richard Bauman, which is in "critical terms for religous studies" (1998, university chicago press) and also:
"Power and performance" by J. Fabian. (1990, university of wisconsin) chapter one in particular. some work specifically on religion and cross-cultural comparisions might be enlightening.
"A critique of religion as a cross-cultural catergory" by Timothy Fitzgerald. in 'Method and theory in the study of religion 9:2 pages 91-110. also some work by clifford geertz. ive done alot of work using all these texts and they are all rather good.

It took a while, but once their numbers dropped from 50 down to 8, the other dwarves started to suspect Hungry.


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
ed209, when aren’t people twisted by religion? As you say there are lots of cases where religious fervour has led to disaster eg. the recent Bosnia and Serbs war.



As Sethis said “And does anyone else think that it is incredibly ironic that both G.W. Bush and Al Qa'eda claim that "God" is on their side?”



Icer, you asked for definitions, which on reflection were perhaps rhetoric. Anyhow, the reason I use doctionarydotcom is because it’s accessible and usually a fairly good place to find neutral definitions. While the definitions are not strictly mine, I find this preferable to making them up to suit wink Anyhow, three out of four ain’t bad.



Plenty of people believe that football is a religion, but I’m not one of them. Religion implies belief in supernatural beings, and that why many considered Buddhism a philosophy rather than a religion. Therefore, I wouldn’t consider witchcraft or shamanism religions as such.



I not sure what you point was, but you seem to assert that everyone is religious. I would suggest that the opposite is true. Many that claim to believe in a religion are not religious because they don’t follow their Gods teachings like “thou shalt not kill” etc. As you said “the Quran is that it says NOT to take the lives of others.” Do you really believe that media hype is killing all those people with car bombs? Perhaps Bush didn't really invade Iraq either.



eek

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


ed209Ed: geek, staffer, past participle
122 posts
Location: London, UK


Posted:
Written by: Stone


ed209, when aren’t people twisted by religion? As you say there are lots of cases where religious fervour has led to disaster eg. the recent Bosnia and Serbs war.





Well I can think of several cases of people who aren't 'twisted by religion' but that's not really what you're asking. People aren't twisted by religion, they're twisted by powerful men who want more power. Religion in these cases is just a tool, not, as you say a 'root of all evil'. I agree that religion carries certain problems, but (a) those problems do not apply to all religion nor to all religious people and (b) religion is not the 'root' of the problem. Looking deeper, we can find such traits as greed.

onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
Written by: Stone


....when aren’t people twisted by religion? As you say there are lots of cases where religious fervour has led to disaster eg. the recent Bosnia and Serbs war.




Those millions of human beings who are religious, yet, whether in spite of, or indeed, because of, their religion, are peaceful, content with their lives and happy.

I'm going to ask you to consider whether your perspective is a little distorted on this matter.

I know what it's like to be comtemptuous of religion- in the past I was also appalled at the illogicality, blind acceptance and intolerance that religion seemed to represent.

It's not unusual that people who think like that tend to only see the negative proponents of religion- the acts of violence, the ones who are intent on 'converting' everyone- as they are the most vocal and apparent.

But, the afformentioned group who are peaceful, content and who benefit from their beliefs without feeling the need to 'convert' unbelievers; are precisely the people who you're not going to be particularly aware of.

In my (more recent) experience, there are plenty of people not twisted by their religion; equally, there are a lot of non-believers who are totally messed up.

IMO, the harm being attributed to religion by some posters on this thread, is harm that is actually caused by simple bad attitude which anyone can have, whether religious or not.

Yes, most historical wars involved reference to 'God'- that's because religion has historically been almost omnipresent in every human culture throughout recorded history.

Does anyone really think that, if religion were eliminated, humanity is going to cease conflict?

IMO the roots of conflict go way deeper than religious belief, and the danger of attributing it all to religion is that, in doing so, the real causes are not addressed.

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


IcerSILVER Member
just a shadow of my former self...
205 posts
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand


Posted:
ok, im getting out of this debate, ive already done enough research in the course of my studies on this topic that im not about to change my thoughts on it, and im dangerously close to gettign way off topic and getting very technical about the problems of cross-cultural comparisions which is the basis of the problem in this debate.

i will leave saying that, i havnt made up any definitions, but instead have used the ones most suited to to universal comparisions, even tho such comparisions shouldnt be attempted b/c of the inherent differences between cultures. i take religion as an enactment of faith, anything at all 'spiritual', is faith based. therefore, anything which either believes in or does not believe in anything 'spiritual' is based on faith, b/c a person can niether prove or disprove their viewpoint.

in a very basic sense my point follows, everyone has a view of reality, that view cannot be conclusivley proved, that view therefore is based on faith (either consciously or subconsciously), 'religion' as way of life based on 'faith based beliefs' therefore includes everyone.

if you need a much more technical and esoteric discussion try reading "A critique of religion as a cross-cultural catergory" by Timothy Fitzgerald.
thats it im done.

It took a while, but once their numbers dropped from 50 down to 8, the other dwarves started to suspect Hungry.


KyrianDreamer
4,308 posts
Location: York, England


Posted:
Has anyone read Nightfall, by Isaac Asimov and Robert... something.

This is not at all off topic, but if no one's read it i might not be able to explain everything it covers in terms of religion, extremism, and their role in human nature.

Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive

Shalom VeAhavah

New Hampshire has a point....


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