History is written by the winners...?

Question

So how has this affected religious practices and how they are percieved?

This is a subjective question, depending on your opinion, so NO bashing, just state your opinion and move on folks (oh, and maybe vote on other answers, nicely please people).

Winners, victors, I wasn't trying to quote, but ask a genuine question... Wish people could get over semantics and answer it...

Answer 1

"The victor will never be asked if he told the truth"- Adolph Hitler. Good catholic.

Answer 2

History is written by the historians. For good or bad.

How the religious practices were affected probably have to do with the prevailing beliefs of the winner. For instance when Eastern Europe was conquered by invading Muslims the Muslims killed those who did not convert to Islam.

In Inquisition attacked those within their own country who were not Christian.

Rome did not necessarily insist that the countries they invaded and conquered give up their native religion.

Modern day Christians have a custom of going into areas that are necessarily ruled by the US to convert locals.

So I think every is relative to historical facts... not so much based upon who conquered which country.

Answer 3

Isn't it true that 'history is written by the winners?'
Many historical sources are written by the 'winners'. Others are written by the 'losers'. Others still are written by people who are neither. No modern historian takes any source at face value and always takes the perspective, biases, context and objectives of each source into account in their analysis. Archaeology, inscriptions, letters, diaries, household accounts and a host of other sources of information are also used so that, even when the 'winners' do try to manipulate information (which is rare), current professional historians are not forced to rely only on their perspective.

The statement that 'history is written by the winners' is a totally oversimplified cliche, and one people use to try to excuse the complete lack of evidence for most of their claims ... like yours!

Answer 4

Well, I think that the most popular religions today are the ones that had the most violent histories, including conversion through force. Is there any other reason that religions such as Christianity and Islam have over a billion adherents, with their histories of jihad and the inquisition, but more peaceful religions, such as Buddhism, have a lot less?

If you convert one generation through force and they raise their kids within that religion, you basically have a self-propagating meme that will travel through the ages, with minimal change. .

History is written by the winners.

Answer 5

History is written by the victors. Now ask the question again

Answer 6

History has help to, don't forget of all the losers in our history books, like Adolf Hitler, Napoleon, and other people who tried to take over the world, history isn't just written about the winners.

Answer 7

This is really becoming a thing of the past with vast archives of historical information. Look at Rwanda.

Answer 8

And the winners wipe out all dissent and evidence of doubt.

Answer 9

It used to be history was written by those that could write and read by those that could read. Now it's watched on TV by those who can't read or write.

Answer 10

Obviously the religious practices of 'the losers' were denigrated & suppressed i.e. not allowed. :-)