Violent acts of the faithful. Can a tree not be judged by its fruit?

Question

First off, I am an atheist, so please do not reply with anti-Christian rhetoric. All I'm looking for is a little intellectual honesty. Let's say that there's a religion out there that seems to be inherently violent (i.e. not a week goes by without followers of this faith killing people in the name of thier faith). Let's say that I make a comment that associates that religion with violence, and the reaction of that religion's followers is violence! Would that fit the definition of irony? Can we still pretend that the religion is peaceful? Is calling that religion "peaceful" enough to create truth out thin air? Oh, I forgot to mention, a verse in this religion's holy book is "slay the unbelievers wherever ye shall find them." Also, the ill-informed followers of that religion, most of whom are peaceful people in blissful denial of the realities of their faith's teachings, like to perform mental gymnastics around the violence that is always peripheral to their faith.

Answer 1

All religions have their zealots. However it seems to me that you are making a thinly veiled reference to the situation in the middle east. Honestly, just say what you really feel. I think Islam is an extremely violent religion and that it should be irradicated by peaceloving people's everywhere. You are never going to change the mentality of a people who raise a child to kill and hate from the time it can walk and talk. I am a Christian but I have read the Qur'an and quite frankly I am shocked at the degree to which so many of it's believers deny the inherent violence it espouses. Not to mention, having studied the life of Mohammad I find it highly unlikely that any God of Peace would choose such a reprobate as a Prophet. I realize I am going to have stepped on some toes here but we need to call a spade a spade and quit burying our heads in the sand hoping they will just quietly go away. The terrorist and the Iranian leader have both stated they are going to spread Islam to the west. Well ,we in the west are infidels to them and their book says kill the infidel and convert by the sword. That is all I need to hear to know it is not what I wish for myself or my children.

Answer 2

A quaran is not a holy book its a book made by human writtings uninspired by God but by rebellious priests. Not all who claim to have a religion have a religion. In the bible God said islamics are war causers and will continue to cause war throughout their existence when the maid the mother of ismael fighted sarah over the issue of taking her child or after that. But point is U cant put the islamic relligion as an example over others. I am a christian and truly I do not agree with the catholics. The popes preached their own beliefs not the word of God. I'm not talking of the ones of nowadays they are good people, im talking of the rebellious popes in the olden days. Saul in the bible was an islam one who believed in slaying the christians and unbelievers. Later on, christians actually fought back if u watch the kingdom of heaven u will see that concept but the muslims won most of the time until they actually got true victory.
Usually the peaceful ones dont count because they dont affect people much. look at the hinduists, budhists etc, very peaceful. I dont believe christianity is a religion, its the way of life and peole mouthing over it doesnt change that. but yes christians are peaceful ones too.

Answer 3

All religions are inherently violent.

Humans are gregarious. We form groups. When we form groups, we tend to have enmity towards those outside the group and compassion for those in the group. Religion amplifies this by claiming to get instructions from a higher power that doesn't really exist. This allows people who lead the religion to have power over those who follow the religion. Even if the original intentions of a religion are peaceful and it teaches peaceful tenets, it is too easy for someone in power in the religion to turn it towards violence (probably while still pushing the peaceful agenda). That's why all religions tend to be totalitarian.

Some religions have evolved past that. Their members tend to not take the tenets literally anymore and they are very loose in their interpretation of their religion. However, it still attracts zealots who take the religion much more seriously than they should.

BTW, your description of an example religion could fit Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other religion at various times.

Answer 4

expensive C, oh i'm sorry i've got been engrossed in this acceptable view of the sky from my workplace roof. With the southerly wind, and birds n' stuff, I neglected the question. I did study something on the roof today, as I wandered too on the brink of the sting. I do worry loss of existence, back, and that i'm grateful for that worry that I lived with out while i grew to become into rebelling against GOD, my relatives, the Church. I extremely have not examine different solutions, yet enable me replica your respond to a minimum of one:Are you asserting God is exempt from the "stable tree/undesirable tree" situation? Why ought to that be actual while the Bible for sure states that we are made in God's image? isn't fact regular or can we enable God off the hook because of the fact he's the Boss guy and He could come to a call to squish us like grapes if we factor out His faults? confident, he's different than, as Jesus grew to become into required to blow His precise interior the Temple. An anger mismanagement that would land the rest human beings in a pickle. And confident to worry GOD is to no longer blaspheme. as a rule although, i might harp on the fact that he's a lot stronger in intelligence, and has the rhyme for the reason. Over all I often question GOD's call to grant us lots unfastened-will. As co-creators we (human beings on the full) get away with bloody homicide. that's human beings that yuck each thing up. i think of the Earth is wonderfully appropriate in any different case.

Answer 5

Should you actually be a LORD then what if you are judged greedy because you had kids that take food away from others? They you are guilty of the SIN of GREED. So each should be judged on his own actions. Choosing not to have kids actually helps society as a whole. unless your country is empire biulding and stealing others land like the nazis did then you want and need cannon fodder. i chose not to have children because your history of full of nothing but violence and hardship for poor people. and extravagence like J.KERry's 800 million dollars while soldiers sometimes have to take second jobs just to feed their families. but to do my part for this country i became the soul support for a single mother and her kids for awhile. It didn't work out but i fely i helped in some small way. just like my country helps me when i need it. i J.Ke around about many things but importantly is J.KERry the real life JOKER? or is that libel or just SNL(sat nit liv) type humour at his expense? And as the call Me TA-DD perhaps this real ife orphan is BATMAN(NAM TAB) except i ain't a billionaire and the J.KERry don't appear to give away J.KERry bucks. Has the J.KERry thrown down the gauntlet yet? Or is his excuse my bible protects me.

Answer 6

Obviously Islam is an extremely violent religion. Easily the most violent of all religions. So bad in fact, that agnostics like myself dont mind bashing all religions in the process...just to be sure we never get an Islam again.

Answer 7

Your right.

Christians are the focus of hate on a daily basis yet they do not burn the attackers house or kill them. They may say that is not nice what you said but they allow you to say it.

Muslims it seems will kill you for just suggesting that they might kill you.

Atheists religion is no religion at all and have proved that they are capable of killing hundreds of millions under that philosophy.

Answer 8

Why don't you just say islam and have done. Of course we need to judge the tree by its fruit and so far the fruit of the tree of abraham is bitter in deed.

Answer 9

my parents think ill of me for pointing out thier man of god, Bush is allowing himself to be a tool for 'bad fruit'

they defended him up until about 2005 and the whole Downing Street Memos ordeal and his fall in polls afterwards

since then they too don't like to be christian and spied upon as a terrorist from another supposed 'christian' GW and his PNAC henchmen

the apple does not fall far from the tree

violence and the idea of 'god' has long went hand in hand to justify harm and inequality

Answer 10

If it walks like a duck.......but, there is nothing violent about Jesus Christ though, there are those who do violent things in His name. It goes back to the teachers, we are told to test the spirit.


We are worht a Son to God.