The crusades were carried out in the name of God. So was the Spanish Inquisition. 9-11 was also done in the name of God (or Allah, the Arabic word for God). Look at the current sectarian violence between two sects of Islam (Sunni and Shia) in Iraq. Hitler got the backing of the Catholic and the Lutheran churches in Germany. And when American and British soldiers fought German soldiers in Europe during WW1 and WW2, priests and pastors blessed troops on both sides before battles. And people wonder why so many have become disillusioned and disappointed by religion.
2007-03-23 06:46:01 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Well people are idiots and follow religion. People need to stop blaming God for mankinds stupidity. If people actually had a relationship with God, there would be nothing but love in this world.
2007-03-23 06:52:24 · answer #1 · answered by ty4all 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The purpose of religion is to add "meaning" to an otherwise confusing and chaotic life. That means it's important, since life would have no "meaning" without it. Ideally, everything one did would have to be checked or modified to conform with the ideals of one's religion. But people will do what they want to do, so more likely it is the immutable principles that get mangled to suit the behavior. Instead of constantly worrying that one might be doing wrong, one simply moves "wrong" out one's sphere of behavior, and one's religion can then justify anything.
The Crusades were intended to free the captured Holy Land from the evil Moslems. The Spanish Inquisition was proposed to free Spain from the influence of the Moors, amoung other things. 9/11 had a mix of motivations all centering around keeping one's country free from "godless" foreign influences. Sunnis and Shiites see each other as a kind of heretic. Hitler opposed the Communists, who were regarded as a greater threat to Christianity. And everyone wants reassurance that God is on their side. Politics is always a matter of opinion, but who can argue with God? So the solution is to draft God and dress your politics in religious garb.
2007-03-23 09:03:20 · answer #2 · answered by skepsis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because we have made religion a God, God is our God and he is a jealous God, who doesn't want anything before him including religions or denominations. We pay more respect of our religion/denomination than we do our Savior, it's not right. If we would draw nearer to the Creator and accept that he sent his son for our salvation then all this other stuff would fall to the wayside, but being the sinful beings that we are we continue in the madness. It is an individual effort to seek the Lord and allow him to be savior over our lives.
2007-03-23 06:52:53 · answer #3 · answered by miriamadamswashington_01 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may find that most religions are as much political as they are spiritual. They are caught doing things within political arenas in order to stay in existence (Hitler's Germany and the churches of that era) and not be killed off.
Left to the pure religion, in most cases, you'd find that there is more love and growth taught than these political fanatics we hear of.
Most conflicts and wars are started by political leaders, not religious populations of large numbers. Your thought of WW I brings to mind that "Christmas Cease Fire" when soldiers of both sides began to sing Christmas hymns and eventually met with each other, shared food and drink. Days later they were back to killing each other.
It was politics, not God.
Kev
2007-03-23 07:34:45 · answer #4 · answered by Hobgoblin Kev 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hitler did NOT have the backing of the Catholic Church. You should know that the fellow who wrote the book "Hitler's Pope" has since come forward and recanted. He's now Catholic.
Pope Pius XII may very soon be called Righteous by Jews world wide.
http://www.amazon.com/Myth-Hitlers-Pope-Against-Germany/dp/0895260344
2007-03-23 06:59:18 · answer #5 · answered by Max Marie, OFS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you can back something up with Scripture (Holy Bible) then it is from God.
If you can't...it's their ego getting in the way, i.e. Hitler, Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, 9-11, etc...
2007-03-23 06:57:38 · answer #6 · answered by Salvation is a gift, Eph 2:8-9 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is man's own justification to [himself] as to why they are doing what their heart desires them to do. Evil lies in the heart's of men. It's not God or the devil or religion. It's man. and It's high time the vulnerable people in today's society start to realize this. saying it's for 'god' or 'allah' or 'tooty-fruity' is just a way of taking the justification off of man and putting it on someone else. (this makes it a good reason to do what has to be done, huh?)
2007-03-23 06:54:19 · answer #7 · answered by Virgo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a simple answer... anything good in the world comes from God. Anything bad comes from man's free will being influenced by the Devil, which God allows because it is good that we have the devil to test us.
Or some silly bull manure like that.
2007-03-23 07:00:08 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"In the name of god" is just another way of saying "for reasons I can't explain logically."
And, by the way, just to keep everything historically accurate, Hitler was never formally excommunicated. The church argument is that his crimes excommunicated him but the church never acted against him or Mussolini (who was a practicing catholic right up to the end). Beyond that the church's position was stated by Pius XI: "Kindly God, who has allowed all this to happen at present, undoubtedly has His purpose."
2007-03-23 06:50:35 · answer #9 · answered by Dave P 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because one of the root problems of all mankind is a desire to find a license to do anything you wish in the name of God, in the name of Allah, or in the name of an Idol, or science, or self, or family, or country, or well just about anything else.
People are always justifying their actions.
2007-03-23 06:52:06 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋