RE: Were other European religions better than Christianity?
December 26, 2011 at 6:46 am
(This post was last modified: December 26, 2011 at 7:01 am by kılıç_mehmet.)
(December 22, 2011 at 2:12 pm)Xavier Wrote: I think so. The Pagan religions of Greco Roman Civilization, the Anglo Saxons and the Vikings were in essence far more tolerant to other cultures and didn't have the dogma of Christianity had that all people of other religions should be killed or converted to that religion.I think not. I think christianity did do good in putting an end to the violent gladiatorial fights, which were a means of sacrifice to roman gods.
The Roman Empire was a relatively tolerant place religiously until Christianity took hold, and pagans didn't start wars in the name of their religion.
It may be true that they all have the problem of believing in fictional myths but still Paganism >> Christianity and encourages a far better standard of morality.
The ancient greeks, gauls and germanic people often sacrificed humans, and suicide was seen by the germanic peoples as a shortcut to Valhalla.
Paganism, is not even a religion. It's a collective name for other religions beside today's world religions.
Not that I do not respect the ancient faiths, and also praise the recon movements for their accuracy and devotion.
However, things like...Wicca and Ecclecticism ring all "fluff" and "teen angst" to me.
(December 23, 2011 at 1:21 am)Xavier Wrote:But I think that you're simply taking the part of history that you want to suit yourself, and leave the other parts out.(December 22, 2011 at 10:11 pm)padraic Wrote: "Better"? Of course not.
Religions have always been invented by men for men.They always reflect the culture ,times and mores of those who invent them.Christianity, a thoroughly derivative religion,is no better or worse than most other religions in human history. It the emphasis believers give their religion which sets its tone. Christians (and theists generally) have always been able to use their religion to justify being dead cunts .Many fundamentalists still do.
Christianity's bloody history says otherwise
Don't worry. This is a common feature that you share with other anti-theists.
If we, for example, look at the christianisation of Lithuania, we see a crusade. But if we take a look at Ireland, we see a more peaceful conversion.
What exactly do you have to gain by spreading such misinformation?
What, really? Do you feel better about yourself? I think this is young people's stuff. I've known atheists with whom I can have a conversation on religion without that person bringing up the inquisition card, or "bloody history" card. Like, people know how to be bloody without showing any religious reasons.
But most people simply disregard the secular reasons behind the inquisition and cite "they did it fo' jewsus". No, I do not think that it is as simple as that.
Also, we actually criticize Spaniards who colonized the Americas as brutal, when they destroyed the Aztec empire.
Although it certainly is sad that colonisation has brought destruction upon the people, and later along with slave labor, allowed them to be constantly exploited, it certainly has brought an end to the constant warfare-sacrificial cycle, where the Aztecs went to war with other less powerful tribes or confederacies, brought in trophies in forms of slaves, and later on, sacrificed them on the altars of their pyramids.
This not to say about the general lifestyle of aztecs, as they were, in one form or the other, a near perfectly moral society. Thievery, murder(other than the sacrifices) and most petty crimes were not known to the aztec people.
They were also blessed with plenty in terms of crops, and knew no hunger. They used the gold that is of immense worth to us, as nothing more than decorative ornaments, and did away with the materialistic lifestyles that we share.
Üze Tengri basmasar, asra Yir telinmeser, Türük bodun ilingin törüngin kim artatı udaçı erti?