RE: Atheism - less war?
April 23, 2013 at 12:02 pm
(This post was last modified: April 23, 2013 at 12:03 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
(April 23, 2013 at 11:57 am)A_Nony_Mouse Wrote: Yes, yes to all of that but I was quite clear in what I was talking about, save perhaps for claims of instead of the actual orders, and you have given no examples.Well, on that count you and I will probably have two positions which agree in the generalities but disagree in the nuance. I do not require an overt command from a god to accept that the belief in the god encouraged violence against any specific peoples. Meanwhile we see that warlike polytheistic cultures did - in fact- have favorite targets (often, grated for the sake of convenience), and perhaps it's just the cynic in me...but I can't escape the notion that said polytheists probably believed that their gods were well aware, well encouraging, and practically demanding of their actions (in those cases where we don't have the overt command - such as we have in germanic paganism - and again granted that it wasn't directed towards anyone in particular).
I first realized this around 1999. I have said it in a number of forums and invited contrary examples. I am still waiting.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
