religious conflicts

I really do not get why other religions fight each other. More blood has been spilled in wars over religion than anything else. And a war over trying to make everyone your religion by killing is wrong and is against most religions. And the religions that fight are very similar. Like the middle east. Do you really need to kill someone over very small differences in religions.

What do you think about these conflicts.

Organised religion is nothing more then a method of controlling the masses. Differnt people have differnt ideas about what people should think and act like hence religious conflicts take place. The people who take part religious conflicts are so brainwashed that they dont question the existance of a higher power.

Its worth noting that in Western cultures mass media is replacing Organised religion as the means of controlling the masses people dont even have to get off the couch anymore to get brainwashed.

It's not about religion, it's about control. Religion is just the excuse they use to justify their position.

Originally posted by darkelf
It's not about religion, it's about control. Religion is just the excuse they use to justify their position.

You just explained over a thousand years of human history. Good job. How did the crusades start the pope started it. Middle ages and so on.

Originally posted by spinstopshere
More blood has been spilled in wars over religion than anything else. And a war over trying to make everyone your religion by killing is wrong and is against most religions.

The only religion that I am aware of that has/had wars to assimulate others is Christianity. Most of the time it is wars to have control over the land.

It's something that has been happening for thousands of years. Whilst it may be morally wrong and contradictory in terms of religion, it has become set as part of human nature. It cannot be changed.

Originally posted by Gear

Originally posted by spinstopshere
More blood has been spilled in wars over religion than anything else. And a war over trying to make everyone your religion by killing is wrong and is against most religions.

The only religion that I am aware of that has/had wars to assimulate others is Christianity. Most of the time it is wars to have control over the land.

It's something that has been happening for thousands of years. Whilst it may be morally wrong and contradictory in terms of religion, it has become set as part of human nature. It cannot be changed.

You have looked over Islams teachings to spread religion by the sword and others. It is not all evil Christians you know

Originally posted by spinstopshere
You have looked over Islams teachings to spread religion by the sword and others. It is not all evil Christians you know

Yes, it was done, however although the Qur'an requests assimulation via force, this was very rarely practiced.

I don't recall reffering to any 'evil Christians.' Christians and Christianity are not the same.

Originally posted by Gear

Originally posted by spinstopshere
You have looked over Islams teachings to spread religion by the sword and others. It is not all evil Christians you know

Yes, it was done, however although the Qur'an requests assimulation via force, this was very rarely practiced.

I don't recall reffering to any 'evil Christians.' Christians and Christianity are not the same.

Muslims invaded all the way to Asia and Africa spreading Islam and you say it was hardly practiced.

Originally posted by spinstopshere

Muslims invaded all the way to Asia and Africa spreading Islam and you say it was hardly practiced.

Your exactly right.
Muslims invaded countrys. With them they brought Islam. The natives then converted.
Muslims did not invade in the name of Islam.
Even thus so:

Originally posted by Gear
Most of the time it is wars to have control over the land.

This is a pretty good question and some good answers have been given. I thought I would add that in my opinion, most people don't "get it." There are two many people out there who have "made up their mind" on an issue and even if you offer incredible evidence to the contrary they can't handle the way it makes them "feel" so they disregard it.

The thing with religion is how can you possibly claim to know the mind of God when you look around and see how enourmous and complex reality is? Such thought seems foolish to me. Be proud of what you do know, but never forget that in the grand scheme of things you KNOW NOTHING.

People seem to fall into this mass organized religious thing because they were raised that way (typically). There are many aspects of organized religion which are good in my opinion. The aspect that turns me off is the close-mindedness of it. The fun (my perspective) in thinking about "the big picture" is entertaining all the possibilities in my mind.

If I want to be in awe of God's power I need only go outside on a starry night and stare at the heavens. I know that closest star is roughly 4 light-years away.... so it takes 4 years for light to travel here from there. If that is the closest star how far away is the farthest star??? The light from that star hasnt even reached Earth yet. And then in my heart I know that our universe isn't close to the end. I have a feeling that reality is far larger and more complex than just our universe. I am in awe of such system that it really boggles my mind and at times I want to fall to my knees and thank the creator for making something of such unimaginable beauty. I do not need to get up every sunday morning and drive my cumbustion engine down to the church. I can look around me and look up anytime I want to overwhelmed and feel God's power.

I think John Lennon's song describes out perfectly a land of peace
IMAGINE
imagine there's no God

Odd thing happened this morning, my cable wasn't receiving signals from the local stations so I turned on PBS. They were having a service from some 'countrified' religion (?) but it seemed more like the Church of Song and Dance to me.

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the music--bluegrass, cajun, gospel. And the crowd was really having FUN rejoicing.

Then it got me remembering that I always feel good when I sing and dance a little every day.

And from experience you only really fell god when you find him on your own not from some pastor telling you about him.