With Muslim Brotherhood Set to Join Egypt Protests, Religion’s Role May Grow

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Reported.

+1

Edited January 30, 2011 by Some Old Guy

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Big Sigh!!!

Ok, first, stop it with the nit-picking and bickering. Lacing comments with personal attacks or put-downs adds nothing to the discussion, and derails the thread - which leads me to my second point - stop derailing the thread! The issue is about the political situation playing out in Egypt - a power struggle on the world stage that affects some members of this community right now and may affect many more of us depending on how it resolves or develops. Regardless, you don't need to mirror that power struggle here on VJ - so please, return to the topic and stop the bickering. (And yes, I would like to be doing other things on my Saturday night than moderating this thread )..

Edited January 30, 2011 by Kathryn41

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

please, return to the topic and stop the bickering.

Plenty of threads on the topic to choose from.

Did somebody really push click the report button?

Edited January 30, 2011 by Some Old Guy

[mawilson 2,133]

Seems to me that there is a serious attempt to suggest that if the muslim religion ceased to exist tomorrow everything would be sweetness and light in the middle east.

Sweetness or not, but things would most definitely be better, if people

were educated enough to reject religion.

[웃 910]

things would most definitely be better, if people were educated enough to reject religion.

[Peikko 1,575]

Sweetness or not, but things would most definitely be better, if people

were educated enough to reject religion.

I don't see how, that's like suggesting that all the bad people in the world are religious which is preposterous. The nature of people does not change no matter what the predominant belief system is, that's the fundamental truth.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Sweetness or not, but things would most definitely be better, if people

were educated enough to reject religion.

Communists are irreligious and they've caused a lot of problems in the world. The absence of religion doesn't eliminate ego and selfishness; it encourages it.

[mawilson 2,133]

I don't see how, that's like suggesting that all the bad people in the world are religious which is preposterous. The nature of people does not change no matter what the predominant belief system is, that's the fundamental truth.

People would no longer kill each other because they disagree on the

succession of Mohammed and whether it should have gone to the heirs

of the fourth caliph versus the first three - something that I'm

sure was very important back in 632.

[mawilson 2,133]

Communists are irreligious and they've caused a lot of problems in the world. The absence of religion doesn't eliminate ego and selfishness; it encourages it.

Did people in the USSR kill each other over silly religious matters?

The absence of religion eliminates one reason for people to kill each other: religion.

[Peikko 1,575]

People would no longer kill each other because they disagree on the

succession of Mohammed and whether it should have gone to the heirs

of the fourth caliph versus the first three - something that I'm

sure was very important back in 632.

The reality is, people do not do so now. Conflict is typically over ownership of land in the tangible world, not theistic arguments.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Did people in the USSR kill each other over silly religious matters?

The absence of religion eliminates one reason for people to kill each other: religion.

They killed each other and non-Communists for other reasons. Why so bitter toward the religious? Religious people here aren't slamming the irreligious every chance we get.

[mawilson 2,133]

The reality is, people do not do so now. Conflict is typically over ownership of land in the tangible world, not theistic arguments.

You should read up on the Sunni-Shi'ite conflict before posting.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

You should read up on the Sunni-Shi'ite conflict before posting.

Also, read up on the war between the North and South, WWII, the siege at the Alamo, Pol Pot, and riot deaths at soccer games. None had much to do with religion, but lots of people still died. Non-believers can be very aggressive.

[웃 910]

Also, read up on the war between the North and South, WWII, the siege at the Alamo, Pol Pot, and riot deaths at soccer games. None had much to do with religion, but lots of people still died. Non-believers can be very aggressive.

But shouldn't Allah be watching over us? Why do these horrible events happen if He is all-powerful and all-kind?

We can point to religious wars that, when the number of deaths are added up, are 10X greater than your examples...

And, being religious, you can't point to your examples because it is making a mockery of your religion because God is supposed to be all-powerful and all-kind / loving...How can He be Commander and Chief while millions of people are slaughtered? And on top of that, send over half of the innocent victims of war to HELL FOR ETERNITY???!!!

Edited January 30, 2011 by Lord Infamous

[Sofiyya 1,687]

But shouldn't Allah be watching over us? Why do these horrible events happen if He is all-powerful and all-kind?

We can point to religious wars that, when the number of deaths are added up, are 10X greater than your examples...

And, being religious, you can't point to your examples because it is making a mockery of your religion because God is supposed to be all-powerful and all-kind / loving...How can He be Commander and Chief while millions of people are slaughtered? And on top of that, send over half of the innocent victims of war to HELL FOR ETERNITY???!!!

My examples are by no means all inclusive.

Why do you think people should be able to sit on their lazy azzes and let God do everything to create good in the world? Is that what atheism is all about for you? I suppose if what I believed about God is that He is unjust and that when we die all we do is become worm food, I'd be bitter and cynical, too. Instead, I believe that my role is to do my best to represent God's love on earth, as His prophets did. That makes me responsible for helping to make the world a better place rather than sitting back and complaining about God and those who worship Him.