Persecuted Christians

[Esquilax]

Point. Couldn't be a negative. Having said that in the interests of balance, one must also take into account the people who DON'T do violence on account of religion. Both sides of of the equation need to be considered.

True, though from where I'm standing the people that are peacefully religious are doing so in spite of their religion; the best case scenario is that all the "peace and love" stuff is merely contradicted by all the "kill everyone who isn't like you," stuff, but there's a case that could be made that the two are compatible, and the subtext is peace and love for the christians, death for anyone different. Jesus himself implies that the salvation, the good stuff, is for the tribe of Israel, while everyone else is akin to dogs.

You'd think! And yet people do don't they. To take Christianity as an example (simply because its the text I know more about) someone who beats a gay person to death with a pipe on account of deuteronomy must also ignore all the stuff about not judging others, turning the other cheek, loving their neighbor etc. And there's a lot, lot more of that.

There is! But there's also a direct order to kill the gays, which seems slightly strange. I mean, it's right there, "shall be put to death." God isn't exactly a straight talker in other areas, to hear the "it's all context and interpretation!" christians, so could you blame those who'd take direct order seriously?

... I mean, other than literally blaming them for their crime?

One of the recurring and I think justified critiques of the bible is that one can find justification within it for almost ANY position. There are contradictions throughout. As such any action of violence is condemned by the bible as well as condoned by it. So regardless, anyone committing an act of violence in the name of the bible IS thumbing his nose at the missive of the arbiter of the fate of your soul.

As I've opined before, the bible is a rorscharch.

Sounds like you're kind of fucked no matter what you do, in that estimation. It's just one big psychological trap to keep you chained to Jesus just to get into heaven.