On Human Suffering: Is Religion the Cause?
Vahid is doing a high-quality all-original topical blog that deserves great readership. Here is his current post. -gw
Some say ‘all religion does is cause wars. If you have no religion then there will be no wars’Well lets have a look at the scale of human suffering caused by religion and caused by non religious activity. There are many more than I have listed below but these are pretty major conflicts and are quite dominant in our history.
In the name of religion
The crusades.
Middle east wars.
Witch hunting burning.
Islamic militant activities
Northern Ireland catholic and protestant conflict.
Non religious attocities
The 19th centuries worst crime against humanity was the killing of some 6 million jews.
Stalins regime in former Russia was responsible for killing millions of people.
In China there has been extreme suppression, torture and killings not only within its own borders but through Tibet too.
Korea - Marxism suppression torture and killing.
Apartheid segregation of blacks in south Africa
...
So to go back to the question – does religion cause wars I think the answer is clearly no it does not. It is clearly mankind who uses religion to dominate over others as he uses any power at his disposal to dominate over others. This is undeniably a sad state of affairs but nevertheless a true one.
if we throw out religion from the world then what will we have?
Well Baha’u’llah clearly states :-
Should the lamp of religion be obscured, chaos and confusion will ensue, and the lights of fairness and justice, of tranquillity and peace cease to shine. Unto this will bear witness every man of true understanding.
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 125)
All religions teach that we must do good, that we must be generous, sincere, truthful, law-abiding, and faithful; all this is reasonable, and logically the only way in which humanity can progress.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 141)
Vahid, "All Religion Dos Is Cause Wars!" V.J. Mehrabi
So to go back to the question – does religion cause wars I think the answer is clearly no it does not. It is clearly mankind who uses religion to dominate over others as he uses any power at his disposal to dominate over others. This is undeniably a sad state of affairs but nevertheless a true one.
if we throw out religion from the world then what will we have?
Well Baha’u’llah clearly states :-
Should the lamp of religion be obscured, chaos and confusion will ensue, and the lights of fairness and justice, of tranquillity and peace cease to shine. Unto this will bear witness every man of true understanding.(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 125)
All religions teach that we must do good, that we must be generous, sincere, truthful, law-abiding, and faithful; all this is reasonable, and logically the only way in which humanity can progress.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 141)
Vahid, "All Religion Dos Is Cause Wars!" V.J. Mehrabi
~~~~~~~~~
Every blogger is different in what he or she brings to the blogosphere in terms of life experience. Here is the profile of this Baha'i blogger, from his very first post. -gw
Well here I am with my first post for anyone thats interested. I am Vahid. I live alone now since my 2 kids are off at uni, one in Cardiff the other in Leicester.
I am 43 a widower my wife died last year of cancer. The BBC did a programme about her dying and our attitudes to death as we are Bahais. We made the coffin and arranged the whole thing, it really was quite a special time. I may figure out how to edit videos and post up some of the interviews we had.
Anyhoo, its all done and dusted as they say and life goes on. Over recent years i have been working in the care world. I just left a job in mental health to return to working with teenagers who have had a rough start in life. Challenging but rewarding work - i find. Will see how things pan out over the coming years. The main thing is that i enjoy what i am doing and feel i am contributing in some way to mankind.
Vahid, "First Post" V.J. Mehrabi
{Re-posted with permission}
Every blogger is different in what he or she brings to the blogosphere in terms of life experience. Here is the profile of this Baha'i blogger, from his very first post. -gwWell here I am with my first post for anyone thats interested. I am Vahid. I live alone now since my 2 kids are off at uni, one in Cardiff the other in Leicester.
I am 43 a widower my wife died last year of cancer. The BBC did a programme about her dying and our attitudes to death as we are Bahais. We made the coffin and arranged the whole thing, it really was quite a special time. I may figure out how to edit videos and post up some of the interviews we had.
Anyhoo, its all done and dusted as they say and life goes on. Over recent years i have been working in the care world. I just left a job in mental health to return to working with teenagers who have had a rough start in life. Challenging but rewarding work - i find. Will see how things pan out over the coming years. The main thing is that i enjoy what i am doing and feel i am contributing in some way to mankind.
Vahid, "First Post" V.J. Mehrabi
{Re-posted with permission}
Bottom photo, uploaded on November 3, 2006 by never happens on flickr
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