Without specifics, it becomes a general statement of views and is difficult to have a clear debate. Anytime I've read of the distruction of a city in the bible, I've also read that the people of said city were given the chance to change what was a problem. It was once such was rejected that the destruction occured. I guess as for the others, I cannot say. I have always relied on the simple belief that I cannot simply see into the heart of another, yet I've always believed that God could see into the hearts of all, including mine.

See, bible bashers were around even then..

What my point is...... IF you destroy an entire city.... you will be destroying a small portion of good also... or perhaps even a large portion.... to say that an entire city is filled with evil is to assume.... it is akin to saying that all new yorkers are assholes and the city should be destroyed.... yet if you did a lot of good people would die also..... the taking of any human life is a reprehensible thing..... even if morally evil there is always the chance for good.... even if not intentionally done... and without the specifics I have been having a very clear debate...... also what specifics do you need.... pick a city.... any city your God has destroyed and than tell me that the entire city was evil and deserved of it..... there are no absolutes in life.....

*looks around*

*is confused*

are there any Christians here yet?

*starts filling the pit with lions to throw the Christians in*


okay, it was a joke....

*asks the lions very nicely to not eat the christians, feeling admonished the lions quietly go back to the savannah*

*pets the lions*

niiice little kitty, kitty.

backs sloowly away from big, pretty cat.

~dall
is to loony to debate well.

*the lions keep watch, waiting to see if they are needed*

Jordyn, what do you think of war started because of "Religious Reasons"

Wars are never started for religious reasons, always from either power or fear. Religion is just a great way of drumming up troops

*pushes dismembered leg back into lion pit*

It's not the religions fault, it's not "Gods" fault, it's the fault of the people controlling it...

That's what I was thinking. But even NATO recognizes the right of everyone to have basic human rights, and the right of religious freedom, correct?

So why do certain groups ever feel that it is their right to impose their religious beliefs by war or any other means, and how can anyone saction it anywhere?

*watches the leg tumble, and the lions eye it*

What Nato representatives say and what they do in their countries are two entirely different things...

as for the forcing beliefs on poor unsuspecting non christian folk, you should ask a christian, I have no idea...:p

I'm not even talking christian now, for instance, in the middle est, they're are like 12 different factions of muslims at war with each other for religious reasons...

it makes no sense to me.

Oppressing women because of their God?(only some - not all)
but still, it violates the basic human rights acknowledged worldwide... *has very concerned look* And other countries have stood on the sidelines watching and doing nothing

Religion often leads to strife because it excites fervent debate..... as well as imposing penalties for nonaccordance..... such as the global Christian belief that to deny the existence of God leads to ones going to Hell..... which gives a Christian an often twisted perspective of anyone who does not believe in God.... regardless of thier personal moral feelings thier religion forces them to view you as damned..... unless you are reborn and accept God into your heart.... that is the point when usually thier Christian morality excites them into attempting to convert you.... this holds true for any organized established religion....

Because other countries are restricted in what they can and can not do...it's all politics...america for example, for years they have wanted to be done with the middle east, but they nevr could do anything serious because some countries objected and others threatned in various ways if anything was done. Once it was shown that they were a threat even then it took awhile for bush to rally the other countries(accept good ol' england and a few other select countries to support a "military action" against them...if america did not go through the steps, it could create a disasterous inernational fiasco...the same reason nato was formed to protect the worlds people, is also what hinders immediate action...but once again this all has to do with politics of the world and not much at all with christianity...except the anti-christ...but there's no world government...yet

well, we created Bin Laden's power....

we shouldn't have allowed it to get this far

hmmm.... that can be argued.... "We" did not create bin laden...he is who he is because of himself.... we are all responsible for our own actions..... whether they be for the benifit or ill of both ourselves and others....
Now how did this conversation shift to politics all of a sudden....
was this not originally about Christians.... now we are discussing muslim radicals and global politics......

she aske questions, and I just wanted to show off my knowledge!

*obediantly puts tape over her mouth so as to not disrupt the thread*

*thinks very loudly: If the CIA hadn't gone to Afghanistan in the late 1980's to train Osama and the Taliban how to defeat the Russians, they would probably not have the knowledge and/or ability to fight on this size or scale now... in essance "creating him" and then they leave them to their own devious and nefarious means without giving the government any ideas for a transition of power*

*ducks and runs away*

I believe that current events or conspiracy thread might be a better place for this conversation...UNLESS there are some nice christian folk that want to discuss the issue from a christian view point of course