the nature of religion

Submitted by scott (United States), Jun 17, 2004 at 13:20

I am a Christian and cannot apologize for that fact. I also cannot condone the wars waged in the name of religion or atrocities committed in those names. But must we endure equivalent measures of violence as retribution for wrongs committed over a thousand years ago? If that is the case, blood feuds can never cease.

Regardless of your position on Islam, we do not see today young Christian men and women strapping C4 to their bodies and trying to destroy Muslem children, politicians or even soldiers. We do not need to discourage Christian men from commandeering jetliners to crash into building located in Middle Eastern countries. We do not today have to beg Christian clerics to condemn such actions as wrong and discourage their parishioners from conducting such actions. Christian men and women, as flawed as they might be, would probably not readily consider butchering a living Muslim by sawing his head off. Yet we do see these actions and glaring lack of reprimand within the international Islamic community.

Wheras the best men are yet men at best, Americans are vindicated by their societal outrage at abuses and atrocities. All religious doctrine can be wrong, but in that they fundamentally disagree, logically all cannot be right. I for one will rest my faith on the covenant of Abraham
GEN 12:3a ...and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee..

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".