[MD] So cometh MOQ, what next?

[Mike Craghead]

[Platt:
'But you still haven't provided evidence to support your assertion that religion is
"the most destructive force in history." I'm not saying such evidence doesn't exist,
just that I haven't seen it.']

Religion is a powerful tool in the hands of power-hungry weaselly bad guys. Whether the PHWBG's are "believers" is irrelevant; religion is often their crowbar of choice. Because any systematic persecution needs a clear US vs. Them, and it's really easy to define an "US" using religion. I would argue that, for the PHWBG's, religion functions just like nationalism or racism or a host of other -isms (and don't forget Char-ism-a). McCarthy's -ism was communism, but the dynamics were similar to Adolf's and Atilla's.

It's not Religion's fault. It's the PHWBG's. They are the "destructive force," not religion. To really figure out which is the most destructive, we'd have to add up all of the destruction spurred by religion-wielders, and compare it to the work of the nationalism-wielders, and the racism-wielders, etc., all the while taking into account that lots of these historical figures managed to use several -isms simultaneously... sounds like a fool's errand. 

As for proof, Platt, I submit that most of the greatest nutcases in history were fervently religious. A solid belief system helps justify any given lunacy, and a fervently religious person acts largely based upon their religion. And a smart bad guy can play religion like a harp. So whether the destruction is caused by a religious zealot or a viciously cynical manipulator, in the horse race of destruction, my money's on religion.

Mike Craghead
humboldtmusic.com 
humboldtmusic.com/mc
humboldtmusic.com/sarimike




pholden at davtv.com wrote:
> Quoting Micah <micah at roarkplumbing.com>:
>
>   
>> Platt,
>>
>> Was group of people did Hitler persecute? Was it the Jews? Aren't the Jews a
>> religious group? So isn't that religious persecution?
>>
>> Micah
>>     
>
> I don't consider the Holocaust motivated by religious belief. I agree with
> Pirsig that it was caused by "low level static social and biological patterns whose
> overall purpose was to retard the evolution of truth and Dynamic Quality." But
> Hitler did say he was God's appointed savior of the German people. So in that
> twisted sense, the Nazis cyncially used religious belief to gain and hold power. 
> But you still haven't provided evidence to support your assertion that religion is
> "the most destructive force in history." I'm not saying such evidence doesn't exist,
> just that I haven't seen it.
>
> Platt
>
>   
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: moq_discuss-bounces at moqtalk.org
>> [mailto:moq_discuss-bounces at moqtalk.org]On Behalf Of pholden at davtv.com
>> Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 2:39 PM
>> To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
>> Subject: Re: [MD] So cometh MOQ, what next?
>>
>>
>> Quoting Micah <micah at roarkplumbing.com>:
>>
>>     
>>> Platt,
>>>
>>> How about WW2. Hitler was doing god's work, and his persecution of the
>>>       
>> Jews
>>     
>>> was religious, since Judaism is not a race. Our current fiasco in Iraq is
>>> religious. Certainly Muslims think it is, even if we are just acquiring
>>>       
>> new
>>     
>>> markets for capitalism - while Bush says he is guided by god. Religion is
>>> clearly the most destructive force in history. I will not give you a
>>>       
>> history
>>     
>>> course to prove the point either, I only hold my children's hands.
>>>       
>> Hitler's persecution of the Jews was religious? Like our presence in Iraq?
>> Guess we have a different understanding of the word "religious." Anyway, you
>> don't have to give a history course to prove your point. Just a recognized
>> authority will do, if you can find one.
>>
>> Platt
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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