Should christians be made to pay reparations?

Question

With all the atrocities in Human history, crusades, inquisition, slavery, should christians be held responsible and made to pay reparations to the groups they tried to force their religion on?

All religious groups for that matter?

My heritage has nothing to do with Rome, my ancestors settled Norway about 10,000 years ago.

Love the responses, I agree that it is a silly idea, just wanted to light a match :)

Answer 1

Norway is the best.

No, no one should have to pay for acts that their ancestors carried out. No use is punishing someone for something they weren't alive to witness or take part it.

Answer 2

Tell you what, when I get the paycheck from all the people in the world Christianity has helped, I will be sure to take a cut and put it back toward those causes.

Note that according to the actual facts both the Crusades and the Inquisition were political movements guised as religious movements. Also, who was it that lead the charge to end slavery? That's right, it was the Christian churches. How could I forget?

It is impossible to make an actual convincing case that religion is the cause behind atrocities in human history because quite simply the facts do not back it up. Is religion sometimes used as a factor in atrocities? Yes, but it is not the cause. Atrocities are committed by men in pursuit of something, most likely power, influence or wealth. Religion is then perverted to allow it, but notice the religion is perverted to do so, it is not the religion but the twisted vision of someone who wants something decidedly less noble than what the religion most likely calls for.

In short, study history and learn that not everything actually lines up with anti-Christian propaganda that you have been fed. That way asinine comments like this will not appear.

Answer 3

Should the English government pay reparations to the Irish, Scots and Welsh for the brutality against those native peoples and the systematic demolition of their languages, cultures and religion? Or what they did to the French/Native American Catholics in Canada in the expulsion of 1755?

At least the queen apologized for the latter.

Should the German government pay recompense to all Jews who can prove they had relatives living in Germany, Poland, etc. before WWII? It's gratifying that at least in some cases they are returning stolen items.

Should Muslims as a whole have to pay reparations to the victims of 9/11? What about the Yom Kippur war?

What about the French Catholics to the Huegenots, and then the Huegenots to the Catholics?

How far back should/could/would we go...because there have been cases of brutatlity throughout history.

In some cases, I think governments should pay reparations, such as in the case of Native Americans -- because for one thing, we know what we did to them and we can PROVE who Native Americans are. Possibly for some cases involving slavery, as well, for instance if a corporation was known to have used slaves for labor.

But all we can really do now, no matter what our religion, is go forward and work for justice and truth in all places and at all times.

Answer 4

That's like saying "humans" should pay reparations. I'm sure you realize that the three atrocities mentioned in your question were each carried out by a very, very small percentage of the Christian population.

PS - I noticed you included the Crusades. Maybe you should read up on that one a little. I get the impression that you might be confused about the details.

Answer 5

Past injustices should be addressed and adjustments made to rectify those injustices. We cannot say, oh, that was a long time ago, you should live with the consequences and move on.

Though material restitution may not be possible on all accounts, many times some restitution is possible. Recognition, acceptance of accountability, and apologies, though only words, go a long way to heal old wounds. Their power to heal and unify should never be underestimated.

Marginalizing and rendering voiceless the victims of injustice will come home to haunt the perpetrators and their progeny sooner or later as it has done in many countries around the world. Remaining silent, and worse, telling the victims to shut up, stop whining, and suck it up is dangerous and short-sighted.

Answer 6

Yes. Everyone should pay reparations to everyone else. There is no person that comes from a completely innocent past, so we all must owe somebody something, right? Can we ever just live in the present? That doesn't mean to forget the past, just leave it there and quit dragging it out to make a profit or gain special privileges. All those oppressors and victims are dead. DEAD.

Answer 7

who is going to fund the reparations? the folk who offered them into slavery or the folk who offered them, so in case you think of that it incredibly is a in basic terms white undertaking then you extremely've a undertaking. From what I even have examine on those message boards i'm getting the impact that the white guy and the Arabs went into Africa and stole away the folk and the community tribesmen had no longer something to do with it

Answer 8

No, that's silly. If all groups had to pay reparations for all atrocities committed before their grandparents were even born, we'd all be pretty broke.

Let's focus on the present, eh?

Answer 9

Who would get the money and why would they be the ones to deserve it? Christians and muslims have both had their destructive periods, as has nearly every other religion, be it through human rights violations or all out warfare. there isn't a single person today who's ancestors haven't been both victims or aggressors.

Answer 10

I am a Christian and an American Indian. My great-great-great-great grandpa was brutally murdered by whites. So I expect a check from every white person in the world, every non-Indian in the world, and every American.

If you do not commit a crime you are not bound to suffer for another person's atrocities. I never took part in the Crusades. No Crusader ever killed me. I never held a slave nor was a slave. How can someone's crime centuries ago lead to some modern person having to stand accountable for that?

Should every German pay every Jew money?
Should every American pay money for their failed invasions of Canada?
Should every Mongolian pay for what the Mongolian empire did?

No. Its in the past, there it should remain.