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To: xzins
I do not think Jesus would have handled it that way. Nor John, for that matter. The folks who become extremists are those who, once they decide something is right, stop thinking about it.

Rarely is any situation identical to another situation, and people, especially, are different. Extremists react to all situations and all people in essentially one of two manners. They tell people what to believe, and insist on compliance, or they kill those who refuse to comply for any reason at all.

Much of the killing in Christianity has been over the nature of Jesus Christ, himself, and of God, himself. Are both of them strictly spiritual entities, are they one and the same, or different personages, and so on. Some of the other points of difference are in the proper ways to worship Him. Do you pray directly to God? Do you pray to God in Jesus' name? Do you pray to the Saints to interceed for you with God? People have been killed over each of these interpretations.

My church teaches that God has sent prophets to every part to the world, and taught the people there the truths they are ready for. Being human, those people usually think that what they were taught is the only correct way to practice, and try to enforce that view on others. Usually long after their prophet is dead, and can't correct them when they add or subtract from the teachings. Some of them develop tolerance for others, and some don't.

In the Republic of Turkey, everyone has freedom to practice their religion, whatever it may be. They do not prevent Christians from practicing their faith. They do prevent proselyting, for ANY religion, which can be confusing to anyone whose church has an active missionary program, including mine. They will not try to convert you to Islam, and thank you not to try to convert them to any variety of Christianity. (they tend to think anyone who does try missionary work is a Jehovah's Witness, btw, as they are notorious for disobeying civil law anywhere. And even for them, that is individuals doing what they think proper regardless.)

EVERY group has its extremists, even mine. When they get out of hand, you wind up with something like the events of 9/11 happening to someone. I figure they will get theirs when Jesus returns. In the meantime, I do not object to reasonable action against aggressors, but I do object to mass identification of ANYONE as the enemy.

Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition once ordered the deaths of everyone in a particular village; he said "Kill them all; God will know his own." That is the thing I am against.
378 posted on 11/24/2001 9:03:47 AM PST by Old Student
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To: Old Student
EVERY group has its extremists, even mine

What is your group? I notice that you said prophets were sent to each part of the world and taught truths the people there were ready to receive.

Let's imagine a point of fact: Sep 11 is the date of the terrorist attack at the WTC site. That fact is TRUTH.

One hundred years from now imagine a group arising that taught that the attack actually occurred on Sep 12. Let's imagine that they really, really believed it.

Should I be tolerant of that view? Or should I point out that the advocates of that position are teaching untruths as truth?

In that case, wouldn't it be better to be intolerant rather than inclusive?

382 posted on 11/24/2001 11:19:26 AM PST by xzins
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