[Zipperfish]

I think a "religious versus non-religious" headcount is a waste of time. People will fight over anything.

Emo Philips Emo Philips:

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said
"Stop! don't do it!"
"Why shouldn't I?" he said.
I said, "Well, there's so much to live for!"
He said, "Like what?"
I said, "Well...are you religious or atheist?"
He said, "Religious."
I said, "Me too! Are you christian or buddhist?"
He said, "Christian."
I said, "Me too! Are you catholic or protestant?"
He said, "Protestant."
I said, "Me too! Are you episcopalian or baptist?"
He said, "Baptist!"
I said,"Wow! Me too! Are you baptist church of god or baptist church of the lord?"
He said, "Baptist church of god!"
I said, "Me too! Are you original baptist church of god, or are you reformed baptist church of god?"
He said,"Reformed Baptist church of god!"
I said, "Me too! Are you reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1879, or reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1915?"
He said, "Reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1915!"
I said, "Die, heretic scum", and pushed him off.

[BartSimpson]

Hyack Hyack:

From your own "proof", Wikipedia.... which I always take with a very large grain of salt. "It is believed that there is a supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center of the Milky Way"

It's a fact!

They found it in Star Trek V!

[commanderkai]

Macguyver Macguyver:

Apparently someone has counted 809 million deaths from religious wars. Now I didn't look much further but I suspect the Catholics, being righteous and trigger happy, have to account for a big chunk of that.

I did look into the link a little and someone must have done more research cause the figures have to be collected individually from links on the page second, which don't really work.

But I think that it is probable, that over the last 2000 years, the accumulated death toll as a direct result of the Catholic Church is in the hundreds of millions.

http://bookrate.wordpress.com/2006/07/22/deaths-over-history-religious-vs-nonreligous/

Actually, he states that 809 million people have died in religious conflicts, and not just the Catholic Church. More importantly, his figures and justifications aren't there, at all.

I honestly can't see how the Catholic Church can even come close to the "hundreds of millions" since, at most, the Catholic Church had maybe 200 million people within Europe, North Africa, and the Americas.

Listen, leave your anti-Catholic bigotry and spew it somewhere else, or at least make it sound reasonable.

[Brenda]

commanderkai commanderkai:

Actually, he states that 809 million people have died in religious conflicts...

Doesn't that make you think twice about religion in general tho?

[DanSC]

Brenda Brenda:

commanderkai commanderkai:

Actually, he states that 809 million people have died in religious conflicts...

Doesn't that make you think twice about religion in general tho?

Make me question fanaticism in general. Remember, Honduras and El Salvador used a footie match as an excuse to attack each other.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_War

[desertdude]

A bit like the hockey riots ? There have been wars fought for much dumber things. Religion is usually just used as an excuse.

[Brenda]

desertdude desertdude:

A bit like the hockey riots ? There have been wars fought for much dumber things. Religion is usually just used as an excuse.

It's always a power issue...

[desertdude]

Mostly correct, so really no need to blame religion in general.

[Gunnair]

Bacardi4206 Bacardi4206:

Unsound Unsound:

CrazyNewfie CrazyNewfie:

Is that the same church who are responsible for more wars and killing in this world then anything else? It just dumbfounds (but not surprises) me how ignorant and stupid people can be.

So... the catholic church is responsible for more death and misery than Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc?

You name one war that was started by religion and Hitler would have beated it in a heartbeat.

Taiping Rebellion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Rebellion

[ShepherdsDog]

Warlords, starring Jet Li, is set during the time. The Taiping Rebellion was a candle(20 million) compared to the conflagration that was the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, which places death tolls at between 40 and 70 million

[Gunnair]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Warlords, starring Jet Li, is set during the time. The Taiping Rebellion was a candle(20 million) compared to the conflagration that was the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, which places death tolls at between 40 and 70 million

That's out of the context of the discussion though.

[Brenda]

desertdude desertdude:

Mostly correct, so really no need to blame religion in general.

Why not? Isn't religion all about power?
Muslims want "the infidels" to convert, JW knock on your door trying to convert you, church is doing nothing else than tell their church goers that their church is better than any other church.

They all say they preach love and acceptance, but no religious person has ever accepted me being non-religious without telling me I am wrong.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Brenda Brenda:

desertdude desertdude:

Mostly correct, so really no need to blame religion in general.

Why not? Isn't religion all about power?
Muslims want "the infidels" to convert, JW knock on your door trying to convert you, church is doing nothing else than tell their church goers that their church is better than any other church.

They all say they preach love and acceptance, but no religious person has ever accepted me being non-religious without telling me I am wrong.

Don't worry Brenda, I won't tell you you're wrong, well not in that particular regard anyway
Most of my friends aren't religious, but I don't base my friendships on something as one dimensional as religious beliefs or a lack thereof. Of course, that also depends on how extreme their views are

[Brenda]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

Brenda Brenda:

desertdude desertdude:

Mostly correct, so really no need to blame religion in general.

Why not? Isn't religion all about power?
Muslims want "the infidels" to convert, JW knock on your door trying to convert you, church is doing nothing else than tell their church goers that their church is better than any other church.

They all say they preach love and acceptance, but no religious person has ever accepted me being non-religious without telling me I am wrong.

Don't worry Brenda, I won't tell you you're wrong, well not in that particular regard anyway
Most of my friends aren't religious, but I don't base my friendships on something as one dimensional as religious beliefs or a lack thereof. Of course, that also depends on how extreme their views are

Some of my friends are religious, some are not. They are friends because we accept each other as we are. Friends will not cause war, but during a fight, will call a "cease fire", and drink a beer together.

Btw, I agree with you on the base where friendships are build on. I like you because you are respectful, and treat me like I want to be treated, or you are an asshole because you are not respectful or treating me as you should. Also, a sense of humour is highly appreciated

The big picture however, is always about power. The power of religion over non-religion, the power of white over black, the power of wanting people to do what you see as right. The power of having power...

[commanderkai]

Brenda Brenda:

commanderkai commanderkai:

Actually, he states that 809 million people have died in religious conflicts...

Doesn't that make you think twice about religion in general tho?

Even that number seems way too high, to be honest. Either way, no. Human history is filled with war and bloodshed, it'd be quite hard to find something that has been spared of it.