In case you didn't realize it, some people would answer both of the questions above with a resounding "yes!" They would claim that militant intolerance, even violence, are the inevitable consequence of deeply held religious belief.
The Panda's Thumb blog, not exactly a friend of conservative Christian beliefs, at least beliefs on origins, has blasted biologist Jerry Coyne, who, in addition to being an important scientist, is a militant atheist, for his "yes!" responses, and given evidence to show that Coyne, and other people who want to make religious belief the root of all of violence, and other problems, are wrong. There are some pertinent links in the Panda's Thumb post.
Good for the Panda's Thumb!
The Panda's Thumb also posted a reaction to a believer in Intelligent Design, who claimed that "Darwinists" are incapable of showing proper compassion.
Most any tragedy can be used to reinforce our prejudices, and often gets used as such by people with a wide variety of such prejudices. Sigh.
Musings on science, the Bible, and fantastic literature (and sometimes basketball and other stuff).
God speaks to us through the Bible and the findings of science, and we should listen to both types of revelation.
The title is from Psalm 84:11.
The Wikipedia is usually a pretty good reference. I mostly use the World English Bible (WEB), because it is public domain. I am grateful.
islamophobia could have affected an already depressed/unstable mind.........
ReplyDeleteAs they say.....hate begets hate...
Uncle Martin - I would be curious to read more of your thoughts on this subject. Anna
ReplyDeleteYes, unfortunately, hate usually begets hate. But there are people who rise above that, most notably Christ, but others come to mind, such as Nelson Mandela, for one, or Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Thanks, anonymous, whoever you are.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Anna. You asked for more of my thoughts. I don't have any special expertise in this area, and wouldn't presume to guess as to exactly what set off the Boston bombers, but I do believe that sin, in the human heart, can drive someone to do almost anything, and we see examples of that all too often. It is possible for sin to masquerade as religious zeal, be it Muslim or Christian, of course.
ReplyDeleteIt is also possible, with God's help, whether recognized or not, to forgive almost anything evil that has been done to us. I haven't had much done to me, but some people have, and have risen above it.