the one true way... to something scary

[mellowtigger]

Monotheism is once again scaring me.

I'd heard about "The Family" recently, but kauko reminds me about it today.  They're a Christian group that teaches things like "Morality is for the little people" (rules of decency do not apply to those in power), "Jesus plus nothing" (meaning essentially the totalitarianism of Jesus-ites), and "Be more like Hitler

Comments

[furr_a_bruin]

You might also consider a donation to your local Sikhs; it's my understanding that Sikhism is alone in the monotheistic faiths in affirming religious freedom - that everyone has the right to believe as they choose without coercion. Of course, their take on monotheism is rather different than the Abrahamic faiths, but still.

Not to mention that many Sikh gentlemen have really great beards. :-{)###>

[bitterlawngnome]

nope, polytheism is no better

viz Hindus and Sikhs in India, the Hindus and Buddhist in Sri Lanka, Tibetan Buddhists having spent centuries trying to wipe each other out, and the numerous historical examples like the Romans, Greeks, Persians, the African Kingdoms, the Mayans, Aztecs, Toltecs etc. etc etc etc.

all of the major religions have been used at one time or another to justify intolerance, war, oppression, theft, racial pogroms, etc.

[mellowtigger]

I'm really late getting back to this question, but...

I don't think that enlisting the help of a war god (and yes, there are many) in a conflict of man's choosing is the same thing as beginning a war at the behest of the god.

I wonder if any historians have teased apart this distinction yet? How many wars of human history have been fought because a deity ordered the destruction of another group of people? (Excluding, for this purpose, the kingdoms in which the human ruler is also the local personified deity.)

I can see lots of opportunity for that sort of thing to happen. Are neighbors hunting the animals that you need for food? Well, conveniently enough, the god of the forest is angry at these intruders and wants you to destroy them! That sort of thing. I'm just wondering if history actually played out that way.

[kauko]

I'll try to pay more attention to polytheist news to see if this kind of savagery is apparent there too.Sadly, Hinduism has its own forms of fundamentalism that can be just as backward thinking as monotheistic fundamentalists. Seems like in the final examination, no religion is above criticism. Buddhism does seem to be the 'world religion' with the least blood on its hands

[mellowtigger]

If you'll check back on this thread, do you happen to know any material that would answer my question to bitterlawngnome?

And years ago I read a Tricycle edition which talked about records of Buddhist monks taking up arms in some national conflict or other (maybe Japan in WW II?), and how they had to face the fact that they also were not a strictly pacifist religion in world history. They could succumb to emotional rhetoric too. At least they have the good sense to admit it.

[bearbarry]

Using religion to justify harming others is like putting ketchup on a turd. "I've been washed in the blood so I can do no wrong." It is an attempt to shift the responsibility for your actions onto a "higher power." You might want to check into the works of Joseph Campbell. He did a wonderful job explaining the roots of all the major religions.

[mellowtigger]

Yes, I've seen some of his work before, and he weaves a very nice narrative.

I like your phrase though. *laugh*

[huladavid]

Interesting to read this, especially after a small scale of "My Way Is The TRUTH" from last night.

Some friends of mine invited me over for a barbecue with two of their neighbors, the pastor from the church just down the block and his wife. After eating the conversation turned to religious beliefs and about 15 minutes later I realized, "Oh! They're witnessing!"

I have a hard time with that sort of stuff. I mean I have my beliefs, but just because I belive 'em doesn't mean I'm wrong.

[mellowtigger]

There are still some baptist sects in America that don't proselytize. (I grew up in one of them.) But the missionaries definitely took most of the congregations in our country.