Doesn't that totally contradict Jesus' teachings and message?
Some Christians complained that the Aztecs were uncivilized and deserved to be killed. HELLO???? How would you feel if your land was invaded by a totally foreign group of people? Besides, within 2 years the Aztec population was reduced to almost nothing because of the Christian invaders that brought disease and weaponry with them.
Same with the North Americans. While movies typically show Native Americans as the antagonists, it is in reality the people who took advantage of them and destroyed their culture (yes, Christopher Columbus was a Christian. And a very naughty one at that. He also contributed in reducing the Native American population to less than half of what is was before.)
Strange how religious always has a strong tie to power and wealth doesnt it?
I'm not even going to start on the witchhunts, crusades and inquisitions. *Sighs*
I'm glad my parents let me afford to have a decent education.
2007-02-01 08:05:29 · 32 answers · asked by Salt Flakes 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Stevers: not Buddhism :)!
2007-02-01 08:08:28 · update #1
*Ignore the "Is."
Sorry about that.
2007-02-01 08:14:25 · update #2
Most religions have a strong history of violence and hatred. If you believe in blind faith, it will lead to ignorance and misunderstanding. We need to solve our own problems and not depend on superstition to fix things. Religion also is used to bring power to the rulers in controlling the masses.
2007-02-01 08:07:42 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
"Why Is does Christianity Have Such a Ruthless History of Hate and War?"
Apparently, that "decent" education didn't teach you to construct a proper sentence.
Also, apparently, your "decent" education didn't teach you much about history either. Are you aware of the Aztec, Mayan, Native American cultures and their propensity towards sacrificing babies to their false gods and killing each other in the most horrendous ways?
To assume that European people who came to the North American continent were all Christians, that is, Bible believing Christians, is a big presupposition.
You also have the propensity to mix the Roman Catholic Church with the whole of Christianity. Do a little research into the early church in the first few centuries, you will find wealth and power were not one its components.
You also pull out the old, tired diatribe about the witch trials, crusades and the inquisition. To give you a little historic perspective:
The death figures from the witch trials have been highly inflated. Also, in that society at the time, men generally did not consort with women other than their wives. Therefore, most of the women turned in as witches were turned in by other women. The Bible never advocates this type of activity, those who conducted these activities were working out of their flesh, not the Scriptures.
The Crusades were started as a defensive measure against the Muslim hordes who were ravishing countries by the sword and were threatening to take Turkey and the rest of Europe. Did they go too far, yes they did. Again, fleshly, sinful man going against Scripture.
The inquisitions were conducted by the Roman Catholic Church against all they considered heretics. Many Protestants suffered from this. This was not a Christian thing, it was a Catholic Church thing.
Perhaps your parents should have given you more than a "decent" education.
2007-02-01 08:25:21 · answer #2 · answered by BrotherMichael 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Boy, you know nothing! You say Christianity has a bad history, it's humans who have the bad history. Humans start wars (not religion), humans kill other humans, humans did all those things. You blame Christianity because it was the primary religion.
I hate to be the one to tell you, but if Atheism was the primary religion, we'd still have wars. If paganism was the primary religion, we'd still have wars. If Buddhism was the primary religion, we'd still have wars. Why? Because no matter the religion or lack of religion, there will always be rotten people! Don't put the blame on CHristianity to only further your own prejudices and hatered. Really look at the big picture and you'll see that it was never religion, but humans.
Look at how cruel the Aztecs, Incas, Mayans, Native Americans, Celts, Egyptians, and so on were to each other. Before Christianity! Humans are cruel, and religion isn't what makes us that way.
Get over your hatered!
2007-02-01 08:16:53 · answer #3 · answered by sister steph 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why are you bring up only the history of "Christians?" Why not what the "cultists" (Hitler) or Muslims (crusades and current events?)
Ironic you only point out the Christians.
I don't disagree on the issues with Aztecs or with Native Americans.
Christopher Columbus didn't discover America. It wasn't lost. The natives knew it was here. What our forefathers did in their treatment of the natives is so wrong...it can't or won't be made right.
Oh...and the inquisitions were led by the Catholics, not Christians.
You might consider including all the facts from your decent education, instead of 1/2 and almost truths.
2007-02-01 08:17:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why do you assume this has a whole lot to do with Christianity. Europeans were powerful back then so they did what they could to take as much as they could. You parents might need to spend a little more on your education if you think that the sole cause for those atrocities had to do with just Christianity.
And you are dreaming if you think Buddhists are always so peaceful. Do some searching for the Buddhist groups in South Korea. People are mean and greedy sometimes, whatever their religion.
2007-02-01 08:11:02 · answer #5 · answered by Love Shepherd 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Youre assuming that simply because indians and aztecs inhabited the land that they have some sort of eternal right to it. Keep reading your history books, warfare was least of all invented by Christians and has been with us since the beginning of time.
Jesus Christ is indeed the truth, but he did not teach warfare at all. Just because you see someone come in his name doesnt mean they are true Christians. Christians do the things Christ did and carry out Gods work which does not include conquest or violence of any kind.
It sounds like your parents have been sending you to a school which includes built-in God-hating propaganda. Did they bother to include a list of accomplishments that the church has provided for humanity in the past 2000 years? Or is it just a propaganda tool of snobby liberal atheist degenerates who think they are the elite of society?
2007-02-01 08:25:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Some of the events you gave might have been done in the name of religion, but were done by ungodly people. Religion is often used as an excuse for performing unscrupulous deeds and waging war to obtain land, riches and power. I think if it were possible to clearly see the intentions of these people, you would find that the "Almighty Dollar" (or currency of the day) was more to blame.
2007-02-01 08:13:50 · answer #7 · answered by paulsamuel33 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
HELLOOOOOOOOOO!
The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice. They ripped the hearts out of the victims while they were still alive then kicked the body down the temple steps so the mobs could finish tearing the bodies apart. You can see the blood stains on the temple steps!
One Aztec King married a girl from a neighboring tribe to seal a truce. The father left the daughter with her husband. When the father came back 3 months later to visit his daughter her husband came out of their house, tent whatever wearing her SKIN!
Get over yourself!
2007-02-01 08:48:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
You are absolutely correct. That is why there was a reformation and so many protestant religions began to pop up. People who actually read the Bible began to realize that crusades, witch hunts, and the like were contrary to what Christ taught. In fact, many of them realized that Christianity in its original form had been lost due to the wickedness of those who gained control over the Church after all of the apostles were slowly killed off.
True believers begin to realize as they study the scriptures that Jesus Christ was trying to teach people to love one another, not make war with each other.
2007-02-01 08:14:13 · answer #9 · answered by rbarc 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christianity has all aspects of the human experience because we are all human. If the Bible didn't record such accounts then non-believers would say that it was a book of "feel good" stories. But, since it includes all of our evil sides as well people say it is a book of hatred and violence. The bible will never win in the minds of those who don't want to accept it.
2007-02-01 08:11:07 · answer #10 · answered by gtahvfaith 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Almost every single religion has had a violent past, not just Christians, and yes it does contradict Jesus' teaching. But Christians are also humans, They screw up like the rest of us and so do people in all of the other religions.
2007-02-01 08:19:23 · answer #11 · answered by band_man 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋