I am a college student working on my BA degree. I recently graduated with my "AA" degree and I just fell in love with school. At 40 I don't mind going to school with 19-20 year olds. Being around them helps keep me young. But in one of my social science classes I did research on Church history and I was amazed to find out that Christians are not as "innocent" as they portray. Many people were murdered by the Church if they did not believe in church doctrine. The charge was "Hearesy" and many were burned at the stake for refusing to believe in the Trinity doctrine. Many women were accused of being "Witches" and tortured severly. When you bring this up to Church members today they will try and wiggle out of this by saying " that is in the past" we live in the present. But these same born-agains will condemn JW's and Mormons for all of the past crimes of the WTS and Mormon church. What is the difference? For years I used that feel sorry for Christians and thought they were so persecuted because of Christians that were thrown to lions, and other things that happened to Christians. But now I feel Christians are just as evil as people they condemn.
Have you studied "Church History" to know that Christians murdered many?
by booker-t 26 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Gretchen956
Hi Booker,
The thing about generalizations is, you will always be speaking truth about a segment of whatever population you are referring to. Sometimes that number is very small, sometimes its very large. With christians that may depend on where you live. But I have personally met some very fine christians, two in particular on this discussion board.So when I pick up a piece of information like that it speaks to my own belief system, that I would not choose that path for that or for some other reason. But you have to respect the rights of others to choose their own path despite it's faults whatever those might be. You can't always throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Good luck with your studies, Booker, and with your own path, where-ever that might lead you.
Sherry
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restrangled
Every Religion has very ugly history. The Catholic church was the worst, even hiding Nazi Criminals so they could escape to Venezuela and other contries after the war. They are responsible for horrific torture,and putting to death scientists who believed the earth was round etc. The original pianists (Bach and sons) were starved along with the little boys choirs and forced to produce new music for the church on a daily basis.
The point being none are Gods channel and all are guilty of horrific crimes.
They all reek of lies and abuse of the human race. JW's included.
r.
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Stephanus
A certain "Religion of Peace" doesn't use the term "murder" - sounds too nasty. Try "honour killing", Booker-T - you'll feel much better.
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jgnat
Yes, I know of church history. My opinion is that mankind is brutal and religion is a handy excuse. Nowadays, any ideology will do, such as Apartheid, Marxism or Fascism.
P.S. It seems people are finally getting smarter about this. Genocide is widely condemned, and presidents have to find an excuse to go to war.
P.P.S. I'm looking for evidence that the Bach family was starved, and I haven't found it yet.
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Navigator
When I was stationed in Germany with the USAF I noticed that there was either a Protestant Church in a village or a Catholic, but never both. I found out that it dated back to the War of the Roses or the 30 years war when the Protestants murdured all the cathoics and vice versa. History records a conversation between the Commander of the Papal army and the Papal Legate when one of the large German cities was under siege. The Commander noted that 30% of the population was Catholic and speculated that all the citizens would claim to be Catholic when put to the sword. The Papal Legate is on record as saying "Slay them all, God will know His own."
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Seeker4
Booker-T,
When you go from the persecution of the early Christian church to Christians burning people for heresy and witchcraft, you're jumping 1000 years or more in history. We are closer in time to some of these events than the early Christians were. You can't really just lump all these events together.
But yes, I'm well aware of the violent history of the the Christian religion, and really, all religions.
S4
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Hellrider
Probably the biggest massacres done by the catholic church (next to the crusades, or maybe it would be more correct to say that they were part of the crusades) were on the Cathars in the early 13th century. Tens of thousands of men, women and children were murdered in cold bloodin southern France, many of which were burned alive in ditches At the attack on the town Beziers in 1209, the commander was asked how to tell Cathars from non-Cathars. He replied: Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius." — “Kill them all, the Lord will recognise His own"
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LittleToe
...and yet the numbers involved in many of these felonies pale in significance compared to the lives lost in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, as well as a multitude of other non-religous campaigns. Is it a cleaner death to be burned alive while your body is being torn apart by sub-atomic particles, just because it occurs a little quicker?
It seems that man loves any excuse for a party, whether it involves blood-letting or not. Religion is as good an excuse as another.
In the historical context, they were barbarous times, and the little we know of them comes from the scrupulous records of the few literate people of those ages - the very clerics involved in the actions. Vikings (etc., etc.) didn't bother making such records, unfortunately, prefering to just get on with the business-end of rape and pillage. What's our excuse in the last century of human existance? It seems we've transcended the need for one, but we're still partying like it's 1999!
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Ade
Theres a difference between Christians and Religious fanatics.
Respectfully
Ade