Self-fulfilling prophesies (Xtian & I slam)

Originally posted by junglejake
I'd be curious to see how many people who fought in the crusades, how many people took part in the inqusition, how many people took part in the Salem witch trials, actually had read the Bible. Those actions are so far outside of what Jesus says, I don't see how they could have.

That's the whole point!!! The control that religion gives over others.
Go back to the days of the Crusades and it was only the wealthy who could afford a Bible, let alone be literate enough to read it.

The Crusades were pushed on Christian followers by the ruling class of the time and the popes.
The masses just went along with things because they were told that "God wants it".
You've got exactly the same thing happening today with extremist Islam.

But even if you do read the Bible, unless you dispose with the OT and only work from the NT (which 99% of Christians refuse to do) you're given the impression that the angry, wrathful god says it's alright to fight against those who don't follow your religion. It isn't a matter of reading the Bible - it's more how you define it. The problem is that those who control the definition won't let their worshippers follow in peace. They use the religion for money and power.

Ok, given that the world seems to be heading towards some kind of Armageddon / Apocolypse / Omega Point, what can we do to avert it? If forewarned is forearmed, then surely we, the thinking people in this world, should be able to see that this sulf fulfilling doom is something that can avoided with reason? I do believe that most people in the world really only want to work their bit and relax with their friends and families. How hard is it to get these people to rise up in a unifed voice and say NO! This direction is WRONG!

Ultimately it's up to us to convince those who would go and do terror on other or exploit people for money. Who has the courage to do so?

How many times will people ignore the failure of so-called 'prophesies' from ages (or even a few years) past? A well-known prophet of doom, Hal Lindsey, predicted the end of the world by 1988, and HE STILL SELLS BOOKS!!!

The millenial fever of 999 C.E. was more ravenous than in 1999. But now, capabilities exist for humans to inflict a great deal of damage due to systems of belief. Hopefully, the powers that be can soon get over their fixation with the zeros in the year-designation (which of course, is entirely arbitrary).

The world ends when I die. Your world ends when you die. Maybe we will all hit the lottery and wittness a great global catastrophy and all die together. Only time will tell.

You can make the world a better place by helping others and not being corrupt.