The Logic Off Topic list

> >not theologians, biblical scholars, or Koran scholars. Like amateur
> >musicians, they are entitled to their opinions, and I personally don't
mind
> >them expressing them.
>
> Why does it take a religious scholar to have a spiritual relationship
> with "God" by whatever name? Even common people can love a song and get
> an emotional charge from it - without an explanation from a musician.

I don't think that was the point, the issue is that for people who want to
explain the relationship of the Old and New Testament to modern Christianity
and be credible they should have a background in one of the aforementioned
fields.  He brought this up because there was some supposition about how the
NT superseded the Old.  Now on a personal level that's totally fine.  But if
one's making a generalization and relating that to how warfare should be
viewed by Christians (at least post-NT ones), then it helps to have some
background.  But of course he also stated that everyone is certainly
entitled to their opinion and even without credentials it doesn't mean
they're specifically wrong.

I totally agree God did not say that killing of fellow humans is a good
thing, or that your religion is better than mine..... You can take any
religious book, explain it in a way that suite your needs and say its
un-negotiable because God said so.........

> Hey I would agree with you - that war is fundamentally against the
> principles of all religions. The fact that all sorts of groups can twist
> religion to justify their wars just shows you the extent to which they
> don't follow their own principles. Imagine if an alien were to land and
> ask "what is religion?" and come away with the conclusion that its a set
> of rules for which people die and kill for, but are too busy to follow.

Hey I would agree with you - that war is fundamentally against the 
principles of all religions. The fact that all sorts of groups can twist 
religion to justify their wars just shows you the extent to which they 
don't follow their own principles. Imagine if an alien were to land and 
ask "what is religion?" and come away with the conclusion that its a set 
of rules for which people die and kill for, but are too busy to follow.

I wasn't just thinking of Muslims. Bush makes a big deal out of being 
Christian and yet doesn't hesitate to kill. The Israeli's don't seem to have 
any problem with killing, as long as the victim is non-Jewish. And of course, 
there are the Taliban. I saw a tv special last night, and one Afgan claimed 
to have executed 1500 Russian prisoners by cutting their heads off, shooting, 
or stoning. Of course, the Russians do essentially the same thing to the 
Chechynans these days. It all goes around. I just wish they wouldn't claim 
God gave them the right to do it.

>I totally agree God did not say that killing of fellow humans is a good
>thing, or that your religion is better than mine..... You can take any
>religious book, explain it in a way that suite your needs and say its
>un-negotiable because God said so.........
>