(December 11, 2013 at 11:48 am)whateverist Wrote: I think the question then becomes is Christianity benign - or benign enough? Slavery is not a benign institution. So the person who identifies with and participates in it is repulsive.
In answering that question you'll have to separate out the ill they do because they're people from the ill which stems specifically from their religion. Even if you look at the historic evil the Catholic church has visited on people, are you looking at the ill affects of religion or of power? Perhaps the inquisition is just a symptom of absolute power?
Shit, whateverist, you got my brain running, and I'm at work right now. I'm going to do some thinking about this and respond in depth later.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
