Anyone notice this about religions?

Question

Most organized religions are advocates for human rights abuses (inquisition, crusades, witch hunts, etc.) and civil rights abuses (no women voting, racism, censorship, etc.) but that those religions in operating in secular, modern governments don't advocate those abuses (openly). But those same religions either now or in the past when they mingled and shared power with the government (theocracies) that those abuses are advocated openly.

For example look how Islam is practiced in America or Western Europe vs. Iran or Taliban Afghanistan, etc. Or Christianity in Medieval Europe.

Basically... how most popular organized religions advocate terrible things but will "modernize" themselves based on external pressure from the government and/or public opinion not because of any internal desire to better themselves.

Anyone else have this observation? Or feel the observation is misguided?

Answer 1

definately an accurate observation

Answer 2

I feel it's misguided.

As for the inquisition- Jews certainly didn't advocate it they were the ones getting killed.
Crusades- Muslim vs. Xtian, but other religions were not involved
witch hunts- xtian. not other religions.

Civil rights abuses- If you research most civil rights movements, you will find many Jews behind them. Judaism has strong advocacy and interest in all human rights issues. Feminism, voting rights and censorship have all been strongly backed by vocal and active Jews.

So I think you have hit on a correct idea, but over generalized.
Narrow your religious field and you will see that of all the world religions, most do not perpetrate these things- there just happen to be two very vocal groups (I'm sure you can figure out who they are) that do it incessantly.

Answer 3

From my perspective, I see the same data you are looking at and reach a different conclusion. I think there is a HUGE difference between a mon-culture society in which the religious laws are essentially the laws that apply to everyone and a pluralist society, where the group subscribing to those laws coexists with other, different groups. In the latter case, as in the West, we want to come up with the highest common factors (rape is bad, murder is bad, etc) and leave the individual religion's rules inside that particular religious community. When the two conflict, Martin Luter King advocated civil disobedience and I tend to agree.

But, you see, theocracy usually exists because you have a monoculture. If we in the West have a monoculture that spans all religions and groups I'm guessing it would be consumerism. Which I guess is why corporations control so much power in government and so many laws are written and influenced by them....

Answer 4

I think the observation is simplistic. Consider the church in America. Most of them, especially the mainstream Protestant churches, supported slavery during a time when most of American society supported slavery. It should have been the case that the Church was leading the charge against it - and some individual churches did. There were a lot of churches on the Underground Railroad - but the Church is composed of people, and people do tend to reflect their culture. To imply that, for instance, the mainstream Protestant church in the United States today still covertly supports slavery is naive at best, and sloppy thinking at worst. Again, look at where a great deal of the support for the Civil Rights movement came from. Ever wonder why "Martin Luther King" is generally preceded by "The Reverend"?

Answer 5

It's not about religion anyway. It is a relationship with Jesus Christ. What Man does with religion is entirely up to Man. God will deal with that at the proper time. It is apparent that people who have not found a relationship with God, primarily because they have not sought to earnestly, want to claim religions as corrupt, power hungry, and heartless. To suggest that those things never happened is just as silly as the arguments that God doesn't exist. Too many extraordinary things have been done by very ordinary people to dismiss God out of hand. It is just like anything else. If you have a desire to find it you probably will. God is no different. If you seek Him you will find Him. If you don't want to He'll not go against your wishes. But the real kicker is, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I wonder if some of you aren't afraid that you WILL find God.

Answer 6

you're assuming one can't the two learn engineering and pray. I fail to verify why no longer. yet there is something else on your question i could opt for to speak approximately, in case you do no longer recommendations. As technology keeps to go forward it finally ends up in ever greater beneficial technical recommendations-- stuff we are able to do. yet i'm hoping a minimum of a few all human beings is keen to ask if the skill to do something ability we would desire to do it. It does not would desire to be faith, in certainty faith at present won't be asserting plenty concerning the moral questions raised via technology. some are, yet those are a minority. look back in background. would desire to u . s . have geared up the bomb? needless to say they have been waiting to. yet now the remainder of the international is caught with the outcomes. and that i assume this is my factor. Scientists opt for absolute freedom to pursue their hobbies. however the rest human beings get saddled with the effect of what they do. shouldn't we've a minimum of a few enter?

Answer 7

Exactly right.

If you look at the actions of Serbian Christians in 1990s you can see that Genocide is still considered an option for them. But in the US it is not.

This proves that moral behavior is NOT tied to religion, but actually decided by society.

Answer 8

Yay!! Someone finally got it right! It is not about religion it's about relationship. Religion is corrupt because of man, not because of God!! Try having a relationship with God not just following rituals!

Answer 9

human rights?

"When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment." (Exodus 21:7-11 NLT)

Answer 10

No, I can't say I agree with you at all. Horrid things have happened in history by all groups. Atheist countries are not havens of love and enlightenment. It isn't religion it is MAN.