Just more evidence that people are crazy. Period. But it should have no bearing whatsoever on anyone's opinion of Christianity. Do we condemn Islam for the extreme views of a few Muslims that believe in Jihad? John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Reagan to impress Jodie Foster. Should we demonize Foster for it? A recent article reported a strong correlation between being a "Star Trek" fan and being a pedophile. Is "Star Trek" to blame? If there were as many atheists in the world as there are Christians, we'd have all sorts of "atrocities performed in the name of not-God". It's just the way people are.
I don't blame Christianity. I blame humanity. Religion is merely the excuse the individual used for this behavior. That's what makes it sad... I feel that religion ought to bring comfort and hope, not this.
Religion does bring comfort and hope for most people. I'm glad to hear you don't blame religion for this kind of behavior. But Mike likes to pick on the Christians by periodically posting links to articles that portray them in a crazy light. I know that these crazies are in the minority, but people like to generalize and think that all Christians are that way. It's fashionable to ridicule Christianity but would be considered "politically incorrect" to pick on Islam. My comments were directed more at Mike's (apparent) attitude than yours.
I don't believe I pick on Christians in particular, nor was my intent to ridicule Christianity, but merely to demonstrate the "dark morbidities expressed in crime, perversion, and insanity" that ensue when one gathers "together a group of people deliberately chosen for strong religious feelings." However, the news sources I follow are focused on North America and Europe and so the bizarre religious story of the day is more likely to involve Christians than any other religion.
In the interests of fairness, I am perfectly happy to revile the many, many Muslim practitioners of female infibulation.
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Date: 2005-06-19 02:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-20 02:14 am (UTC)Donovan
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Date: 2005-06-20 04:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-20 01:08 pm (UTC)Donovan
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Date: 2005-06-20 04:23 pm (UTC)morbidities expressed in crime, perversion, and insanity" that ensue when one gathers "together a group of people deliberately chosen for strong
religious feelings."
However, the news sources I follow are focused on North America and Europe and so the bizarre religious story of the day is more likely to involve Christians than any other religion.
In the interests of fairness, I am perfectly happy to revile the many, many Muslim practitioners of female infibulation.