Question for everyone?

Question

In a previous question I asked does belief in God cause a harm to society. It was brought up in that question that when religious people are pro-life they are putting their morality on other people. But, I asked in a seperate sequential question, if one is a non-theist, an agnostic or atheist, and they are pro-life, trying to get pro-life legislation, is religion the problem?
The answers to this question were that the problem is in the blowing up of abortion clinics, which they claim come from the religious right.

So here is the question regarding this,

1. Is religion to blame for the actions of one of its followers?

2. Since we have laws against blowing up buildings, wouldn't the domestic terrorist who comits this act be punished?

3. What is the real reason why people commit these types of crimes, is it really God; or the actions of a crazy zealot?

Answer 1

It is all about intolerance. Jesus seemed like an all around okay guy. I don't see him loading fertilizer into a truck!

Answer 2

Answers:
1. Religion is pure, it's a set of beliefs, it doesn't blow things up, small minded people that think violence is the only way to get their point across are the problem and should be blamed accordingly.
2. They should don't see why they wouldn't be punished under these laws
3. There just are so few doctrines that accept violence toward others as the best way to solve a problem. This world would be so much better to live in if there weren't crazy zealots out there. They really have been responsible for so much suffering in the name of their religions. I see these crimes as acts of desperation toward aimed a people who's opinions differ from their own.

Answer 3

1. Religion is not to blame for the actions of one of its followers. If you eat one bad apple, are you going to immediately assume that all apples are bad and anything that grows from an apple tree is bad? Or are you going to judge humanity as a whole by looking at the erratic actions of one, which may be a serial killer, rapists, etc.? I certainly hope not.

2. Of course someone would be punished if they blew up a building. I have never heard of someone getting away with such under the jurisdiction of a "religious act." I don't quite understand this question. I think the answer is quite obvious: if someone commits a felony, they are punished as a felon, no matter what the reasons for their actions are. The only exception is being pardoned by the President or governor.

3. People who commit such actions are not really being sent by God. They are lunatics who use religion as a crazy excuse to do the ridiculous things they do. These psychos don't even know half of the doctrine of the religion that they claim to be acting under. They don't study their religious beliefs thoroughly, and then act irrationally believing they are doing good. I wouldn't call them crazy zealots either, for if they were zealous after their God, they would be intensely studying His character and His Word, and they would only do what is according to His will, which excludes the destruction of property and harm of life.

As for you previous question, "Does belief in God cause a harm to society?" I know it does not, unless the religion you are believing in advocates living a lifestyle of immoral character and harming society. But thankfully, I don't know of any religious doctrine which promote such actions. Almost all religions promote "moral actions" such as love, faithfulness, care for the poor, broken, orphans, widows, and defenseless, kindness, etc. There are numerous religious organizations which are helping the world in many ways, much more than any non-theist organizations are. I'm not trying to condemn the good work of non-theist organizations, I am just pointing out that religion is doing a lot to help the world, much more than the extremely small percenatge of religious people who are harming society. Don't judge all apples by a few rotten ones. Good apples benefit the world much more than the few rotten ones harm it.

Answer 4

Each person "believes" that he or she is doing what should be done in the eyes of their God or their non-God, whatever.
The problem with people is not the actions but the "emotions" that each of us have. As long as we humans have emotions we are going to do things that those emotions make us feel like doing. We all, Christians and non Christians believe that we are right and therefore we are all wrong at the same time. Life is full of choices, we can let the emotions lead us or we can choose to let the emotions slip quietly into the night. I don't believe that blowing up of anything is right unless two countries are at war with each other. We are individuals and not countries so we have a brain with which to think with and we should use it intelligently. But since we all have those emotions that drive us, we don't often use our intelligence.
That is such a shame because we could get a lot more done in the world if the emotions were left out of many things.
Maybe when the world and humans evolve more then the emotions will be able to be pushed back so more progress can go forward.

Answer 5

1. People need to take responsibility and not hide behind their religion as an excuse to be a religious zealot. However, the religious leaders, who persuade people to do things they otherwise might not do, should also take some blame.

2. Yes, people who blow up buildings should be punished!

3. These people are either nuts or manipulated to the point of becoming insane and thinking that killing people and destroying places is a good idea. I don't get the logic behind blowing up a building and endangering lives is a good solution to preventing abortions. They need to respect that not everyone is the same religion and that people have their own values. These people also need to respect that women have lives that should also be valued.

Answer 6

1. Religion isn't to be blamed. Its the way religious people interpret it.

2. Question 2 isn't clear. I assume if you mean would domestic (as in local) terrorists blowing up building be punished? I assume they would be. This is an issue of law, not religion.

3. I would write it down to actions of a crazy zealot, but that could be a sweeping statement in itself. There are a lot of complex issues involved and we don't really get the whole picture.

Answer 7

1. No, religion is the "reason" some people use because religion is not a tangible thing. Much of it depends on personal connection and belief in a particular teaching; not to mention many governments(Western/Democratic) for the most part allow religion a level of free reign.
2. In some cases where the police find out who did the bombing, they are charged and prosecuted; although your classification of these acts as "terrorist" carries more weight in these "Anti-Terror" days.(I agree with your classification as well as these crimes being classified as "hate crimes" personally)
3. These should not be seen as the actions of God, because almost every religion sees "God" as an all knowing and caring being. With that said, who are we lowly humans, to determine that "God" isn't doing a good job of handing down "judgment" to these "evil" people? By blowing up an abortion clinic, these people are in affect, doing "God's" job; while they claim to be doing "God's work or in God's name." It's rather hypocritical to blow up a building and kill workers and clients of abortion clinics, because you believe they are "killing a human being."

*Thanks for posting this question, it actually made me think about some new things in relation to this topic. Hope you don't get any people preaching to you on here!

Answer 8

1) It depends on whether the religion specifically promotes the actions of the follower. If someone went out and killed a supreme court justice after watching Pat Robertson pray for the death of a supreme court justice, then hell YES, Robertson and the 700 club is to blame. Maybe not all christians, but yes, there will be blame to spread around.

2) Check out the current government's list of "domestic terrorist groups" You will see environmental groups who have never harmed a person (only property), but you will NOT see any of the militant christian groups who have bombed clinics and killed doctors and patients. Oh, they'll be prosecuted, but not as the terrorists that they are. It's politics.

3) That really gets back to my answer to question #1, so I'll let that be the same answer.

Answer 9

It most surely is not God's work. Not any God that I would follow anyways. Religion is no more to blame for the acts of one man than an entire nation is for the acts of a criminal. The domestic terrorist who commits these acts should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, and the Religious should demand it. As to why people commit these crimes... If we knew that we could stop them.

Answer 10

1) I believed it is yes, Religion plays a major role in developing the mind of an individual, his actions in the society, his very character and personality speaks of what his religion is. Religion now is not only a personal thing but also a politically motivated one. Please visit this wed site "Religion and me" a testimony of a Muslim named TASLIMA NASREEN, see how religion works in his life.

2) Terrorist or non-terrorist should be punished for doing this heinous crime against property and human lives. There is a Civil Law of the land to be followed in its entirety and every citizens of any country or nations is obligated to obey.

3) God allows some incidents to happen, and see what will be our action and reaction towards it. Any God fearing man would not do such thing in the first place, only those who is malign and self righteous would do it for a purpose.

Answer 11

1. Is religion to blame for the actions of one of its followers? no

2. Since we have laws against blowing up buildings, wouldn't the domestic terrorist who comits this act be punished? yes

3. What is the real reason why people commit these types of crimes, is it really God; or the actions of a crazy zealot? crazy zealots who ALIGN themselves with "religion"....sort of like the zealot Al Queda terrorists aligning themselves with all muslims...it's of course false and the religion is innocent, but they, themselves are the victims of these maniacs themselves.