Thanks for writing the article. Wondering if humanity will be (& would have been) worse off in the absence of religion(s) and associated tenets.
Religious faith can be considered as an aid to evolution(my understanding is based on Darwins theory and connected concepts), and if you believe in taking a gradual path from primitive instincts to more refined human behavior, history seems to appear in clearer light. Loving your enemies requires restraint, tolerance, compassion, and even imagination with creativity. Such traits could take time to come about, in the context of both individuals and societies.
As I understand religion probably signified human being in settlements and away from territorial animals. Fear and quest to seek more knowledge on natural events made more religious among human being to postulate on what they have experienced but not seen. It is another matter that except those practicing oriental and older religions rest do not easily prepared to accept the human advances in knowledge especially where these conflict with the "facts" "Principles" laid down.
This conflict is dominant and is baneful in any democratic order as people still fashion their thoughts on what has been said/ done in the bygone era.
It is preferable the inter faith discussions focus on what to do with the democratic expression of peoples views on various matters which are claimed to have settled by religions in various walks of life such as birth, marriage, death, economic pursuits, morals etc.
It is pertinent to note that truth is indestructible and assumes as many forms craved by those seeking it.
1)Jesus is the only begotten son of God and salvation is possible only through him. If you do not believe in Jesus you are sinning and hence you will be sent to hell. All others are heathens and hence need to be baptized. If that is the case then did all people before Jesus went to hell? 2) Islam says there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his last messenger. All polytheists, people of the book (Christians and Jews) are kaffirs and filthy. All Darul-harb must be converted to Darul-islam at any cost.
This problem is even more manifested now-a-days (see middle-east crisis).
No doubt the crusades had a bloody history of violence against Jews and Muslims, but the fact remains the 'Levant':Egypt,syria,palestine,lebanon were christian majority areas which were turned into arab muslim lands overnight by Arab invaders.The crusades were a political movement to take control of the 'Holy Lands' back from the Arabs.In fact there are still hundreds of mosques in the region which still show their christian origins. The most famous "santa sophia' in Constantinople/Istanbul. just a little knowledge of history can help in perspective.
If you are really interested, find the truth yourself. Find what all religion says, take the same message in heart that no one is different, we are all shiv and find it within...... That is the only religion says. There are different ways you can get that...
After a long time, I find myself 100% in agreement with Dilip. If only humans could dump all man-made systems like organized religions - that divide more than they unite people - and concentrate on the bread and butter issues of human survival and development, the world would be so much more peaceful and lovely. It is my firm belief that the innate lack of confidence and insecurity in vast numbers of humans makes them band together and subscribe to some organized religion or the other. And akin any insecure animal, they look upon those outside their own group as evil and dangerous. If only we realised that we are all in the same boat, very lonely in this universe with no god looking after us, we\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'d cooperate so much more with each other.
What's the matter with commentators like D'Souza? Indians don't need to go thousands of kilometeres away to find evidence of the horrendous violence and intolerance of Islam and Christianity, particularly the former. They exist right on Indian soil. One of the biggest, yet least spoken of, genocides in history was the mass slaughter and destruction of the Hindu and Buddhist cultures by the Islamic invaders starting in at least 712 Ad in the subcontinent, and a century or two earlier in west and Central Asia, where Buddhism was the prevailing religion/ethic. It's a sign of the utter deracination and alienation of the Indian intelligentisia that they can't relate to India's own history, and its indigenous religions, and have to bring in the whole overblown "crusades" debate!
the writer tends to base his views based on Abrahamic religions.by this he tries to include all other religions and say that they are bad. i feel surprised that he does not want to tell that religions like Christianity and Islam follow a single book and that is why the followers are bigoted.
what about eastern religions?i do not know of crusades carried out by Hindus in the name of religion.can Mr D'scouza garber the courage to throw light on this fact.
please do not generelize.
Abrahamic religions have a narrow perpsective on faith that is what is the probelm all about!
