June 28, 2002

More On Religion
Richard P.

To Loremaster (mainly ;) ). This is a little off topic, but well, I've got to answer your points anyway. :)

Firstly, how can you say religion has not been responsible for many many wars? Hitler's hatred for the Jews and the resulting Holocaust is deffinatley based in religion. Next shall we take the whole Palestine/Isreal thing. The reason there is so much tension is that the Jews believe its their God given right to live in the Holy Land (emphasis on Holy there), and think that because of this tenous religious tie, they should replace people who have lived there much longer than them. The Crusades you rightly point out are religiously based, some of the tensions between India and Pakistan have their routes in religion (Hindu vs. Muslim). The Aztec Indians believed in ritual slaughter as part of their religion. These are just a few examples, but how many times in historical wars do you see "for the glory of God" as a quote in justifying that war? Quite a few. In fact, there are some religions that actively encourage violence as a means of spreading their faith, conquer a country, spread the faith (for instance Christianity in Africa and America, Muslim's in Africa and some of the Asian continent, and the Roman's in Europe.)

Now, I'm not saying that religion is all bad, there are of course alot of very good things that come out of religion, and society and humanity as it is would not exist today without religion. For most of history it has been one of the major driving forces of exploration, expansion and a little bit of scientific discovery.

As to whether I "believe" (I would say subscribe) to the theory of evolution, I would have to say yes. As an archaeologist and someone who has studied Geology I have to say that to me, the evidence is overwheling that it has and does happen.

And now to Tolkien.....! ;)

I agree entirely when people say that Tolkien's belief's affected how he wrote LoTR, to say not to would be to misinterpret human nature. What I am saying is to turn around and say that LoTR is a Catholic, or even a Christian book is wrong, because the ways in which it is a Catholic or Christian book are at its roots, in its morals and humanity; and the roots, the morals, the basis of most if not all religions are the same as Christianity.... it is not a Christian book, and to me not even a religious one, because you don't have to believe in a God or subscribe to a religion in order to understand the ethics, morals and emotions portrayed; most humans are born and raised with them.