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Why is America still so prone to wars of religion?
The Economist ^ | 26 may 2005 | Lexington

Posted on 05/28/2005 7:21:59 AM PDT by voletti

In Europe religion doesn't rise to the level of burning away “in the open air”; in fact, it barely smoulders. Most European politicians would rather talk about sexually transmitted diseases than their own faith in God. The hugely bulky European constitution doesn't mention Christianity.

America's policymakers, by contrast, don't seem to talk about anything else. Look at the issues that have dominated the past week.

America's religious wars are only going to intensify. Fourteen moderate senators averted a nuclear explosion over conservative judges this week; but explosions over the issues which made those judges controversial seem all but inevitable. Just wait for the next Supreme Court ruling on abortion. Or for the next vacancy on the court to open up.

Forget today's crowing about the ceasefire in Congress. America's wars of religion will get a lot nastier before any long-lasting peace can be declared—if ever.

(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: 109th; christianity; europeanchristians; issues; religion
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To: ET(end tyranny)
On, this forum? Definately. Views other than Christianity are not accepted well

Hogwash. They just are not admired by most. Sounds like you have some sort of personal problem.

41 posted on 05/28/2005 9:16:42 AM PDT by CasearianDaoist
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To: liberallarry
It is based on the idea that supernatural phenomena are not a part of our lives. We don't have to create them, or infer their existance, in order to explain natural phenomena or morality or any other aspect of our lives and experience.

So how do you explain morality?

42 posted on 05/28/2005 9:18:29 AM PDT by A.J.Armitage (http://calvinist-libertarians.blogspot.com/)
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To: ET(end tyranny)

Spiritual Warfare.


43 posted on 05/28/2005 9:23:05 AM PDT by AliVeritas (Ignorance is a condition. Stupidity is a strategy.)
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To: prion
Have we had any wars of religion?

Good point. The best and brightest of Europe came to the US preciously to escape the loons back home that had no problem going to war for any and every reason, religion being just one such excuse.

It is sad though that opposing oligarchy and the killing people based on age discrimination is now according to Old Europe something that only the extremely religious do.
44 posted on 05/28/2005 9:37:16 AM PDT by swilhelm73 (Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. --Lord Acton)
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To: festus
I think we'd kill them just the same if they were athiests or even Christians. You start killin us we kill you.

A lesson Japan learned pretty solidly a few years back.
45 posted on 05/28/2005 9:38:23 AM PDT by swilhelm73 (Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. --Lord Acton)
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To: voletti
Religious wars?

Seriesly hugh.

46 posted on 05/28/2005 9:38:29 AM PDT by RightWhale (These problems would not exist if we had had a moon base all along)
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To: voletti

Short term: The US is dealing with a lot of the Middle East issues while pseudo-intellectual Europeans pontificate about us and some made up crusade in their mind. As in the Cold War, this will be a long protracted campaign where we will pay the price in economics, blood, terror and politically.

With our GWOT all eyes are on us. All effort by AQ, Abu Saayef and others is devoted to fighting us. Iran, Syria, Libya and other are maneuvering against us and the pressure in taken off of Europe. Just years ago in France you could read about near monthly bombs blowing up in France.

If we fail, in the long run, Europe with it's declining populations, increased numbers of Muslims (France has 10%), Germany over 3.6 million.....will suffer the wrath very dearly.

Europe is flooded with Muslims, and has many extremists. Appeasement is difficult when you're dealing with people who are extremists. The Koran states verbatim that "Well destroy the infidels in ways they are not aware of". There are many passages where our destruction is advocated. What some don’t understand is that you don’t need to be Christian to be on the “hit list”. Even Buddhists are killed, and their shrines destroyed. Ask a Hindu if the Muslims are a “religion of peace”. Anything outside of the Imams paradigm and Shari law is lower than scum. It’s not deserving to live! And if they like it or not, the Europeans fall into this category. Even if they believe in nothing, are hedonistic socialists with a green and anti-American undertone, even if they want to appease the Muslims, they are still scum in the Muslim fundamentalists mind.

Open boarders, close proximity, high Muslim populations already present, high dependence on Middle Eastern oil, a decedent hedonistic culture (Love parades, liberal media, Feminism, and and and) which clashes with the Muslim paradigm combined with a Judo Christian cultural base WILL lead to a war of civilizations as some predicted. It’s just a matter of time. 70 million Muslim Turks joining the EU will only accelerate this.

Europe is in denial! Van Gogh, Madrid train, France headscarves and all the threats, France and the bombings years past and and and. The anti-American, pseudo intellectual European will casually overlook all these MINOR details.

Red6


47 posted on 05/28/2005 9:40:01 AM PDT by Red6
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To: voletti
Wars? Quarrels, yes, certainly. But wars?

Somebody must have told the current "Lexington" a million times not to exaggerate.

48 posted on 05/28/2005 9:44:04 AM PDT by RichInOC (...somebody had to say it...why not me?)
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To: voletti

The title was so silly, I expected it to be from 'Scrappleface'.


49 posted on 05/28/2005 9:47:40 AM PDT by airborne (Dear Lord, please be with my family in Iraq. Keep them close to You and safely in Your arms.)
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To: Bull Man

Yes,

HOWEVER! There was a socialist movement that swept over Europe. Marx, Freud, Nietche, Hitler, Mussolini......all were Godless people. Socialism goes beyond economics. It is a region replacement.

God has left Europe!

Today many Europeans pride themselves with the fact that they are NOT religious. As if only stupid people believe in such an absurd thing as "God". Cathedrals and churches are visited from a historical perspective. It’s like visiting a museum, but it’s not about warship anymore. Religion is studied in schools. But it’s not practiced.

Red6


50 posted on 05/28/2005 9:49:33 AM PDT by Red6
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To: A.J.Armitage
So how do you explain morality?

People have to live with each other. They try to find the best ways to do it.

51 posted on 05/28/2005 9:53:07 AM PDT by liberallarry
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To: voletti
As a subscriber to The Economist, they often get it wrong, especially when it has to do with analyzing America and the American political scene.

Historically, Europe has been fertile ground for religious wars and religious intolerance. A little more than 60 years ago Jews were being murdered on a grand scale just because of their religion. Anti-semitism is running rampant throughout France and countries like Holland and Denmark must now deal with a growing threat from militant Islam. France and Germany are trying to deal with increasing muslim minorities in their midst who are not interested in assimilation.

Albania and Serbia are engaged in essentially a religious war. Nothern Ireland still has an ongoing, now less violent, religious war. The UK has a state church, the Church of England. In Germany religion is taught in the public schools.

Which all suggests that America's religious wars are only going to intensify. Fourteen moderate senators averted a nuclear explosion over conservative judges this week; but explosions over the issues which made those judges controversial seem all but inevitable. Just wait for the next Supreme Court ruling on abortion. Or for the next vacancy on the court to open up.

The author uses terms of violence, but the fact is that Americans are not engaging in physical acts of violence in the name of religion. It is happening in Europe however in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Holland, Germany, and France to name a few. The article buys the Dem line about the threat of the religious right.

52 posted on 05/28/2005 9:57:40 AM PDT by kabar
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To: prion
Have we had any wars of religion?

Yes. Religious cults have murdered each other here just like the Protestants and Catholics have done in Ireland. Research the Mountain Meadows Massacre in Utah. Mormons murdered a wagon train of men, women and children because they were Baptists. Lutherens murdered Mormons, etc, etc, etc...Our history has many religious conflicts, all compliments of the Leonids.
...
53 posted on 05/28/2005 10:02:08 AM PDT by mugs99
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To: voletti
Note to the Economist: This didn't take place in the US....
54 posted on 05/28/2005 10:04:54 AM PDT by mewzilla
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To: voletti

You don't have to be religious to appreciate the arguments against abortion. Freely killing your offspring has already had devastating effects on a number of social issues.

Just goes to show how shallow left thinking really is.


55 posted on 05/28/2005 10:13:19 AM PDT by AmericanChef
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To: Savage Beast
"Don't forget--The Economist is run by an American. "

 So is the DNC. Your point?  

56 posted on 05/28/2005 10:23:20 AM PDT by sinclair (An idiotic initial assumption leads inevitably to a pointless and idiotic conclusion.)
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To: Red6
God has left Europe!

I think it's more accurate to say, Europe has left God.

One night I dreamed a dream. I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord.

When the last scene of my life shot before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.

"Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don't understand why, when I need You most, You leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."


57 posted on 05/28/2005 10:23:39 AM PDT by kanawa
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To: mewzilla

Christians are motivated by their religious values in most wars, but that doesn't make them religious wars. The American revolution was a war for political freedom. In contrast, the French revolution was, in large part, a war against the Catholic Church.

But of course the bloodiest war of religion that was fought in the west (unless you count the battles to stave off Muslim invasions) was the Thirty Years War between Protestants and Catholics. If there was one war in which you can fault Christians for being fanatically bloodthirsty, that was it. The reaction to that war was one reason why the Age of Enlightenment pulled back from religion in the public sphere and in the general culture. That happened in Europe, but nothing like it has ever happened here.


58 posted on 05/28/2005 10:46:19 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: prion

Like all trash in modern day journalism.

Their premise is a lie and then the selectively edit facts to promote the premise.

The US has not been even in one religious war therefore religious wars cannot continue.


59 posted on 05/28/2005 10:50:28 AM PDT by TASMANIANRED (Democrats haven't had a new idea since Karl Marx.)
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To: swilhelm73

And one which we have since forgotten.


60 posted on 05/28/2005 11:13:49 AM PDT by festus (The constitution may be flawed but its a whole lot better than what we have now.)
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