First up, Cardinal George Pell...he should have been flown back to Australia to stand before a Royal Commission. For a man so unwell to travel, he's somehow not so unwell to take sick leave or retire as a Cardinal?
How's that work? Anyway the first up is I'm not a fan of the man or the office he represents or what history we know of him. With that out of the way I have noticed how some debates get loaded incorrectly in order to win a point.
I noticed of late, including a recent "Religion Focused QandA" programme on the ABC that things got well out of kilter and more so when the Twitter feed went frenzy. It seems that there are only a few religions that spark up such deep feelings, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In one positive respect Judaism is not immune but seems to cop a little less of the outrage but suspect its possibly because of the greater horrors its been put through.
With Christianity it isn't long before the Dark Ages are mentioned, the Spanish Inquisitions, burning of witches, slaughter of gypsy people, vile oppression of lay people over centuries, the big one of course is the Crusades and a there's always someone who's quick to say Hitler was a Christian.
Here's the loaded comparison technique unfolded. One thing here proves all similar people are guilty. Guilty of being ntellectually bankrupt to say the least.
The history of the Roman Catholic Church is long and fairly blood soaked to put it mildly, however none of the atrocities it committed, sanctioned or quietly allowed were Christian acts. Nowhere in the Bible does Christ recommend we kill, abuse, oppress, abuse, steal, torture or in anyway ruin the life, mind, body of another human being. Not once, not ever.
It goes to show, not all done in the name of Christ was done by a Christian or a Christian Church...rather it was done by a false religion quite separate from Christianity. The quick go to answer to that is "Yes I see what you did there, you're distancing yourself from those atrocities to protect your religion" - Well yes, why would you want your faith or indeed all those others of similar genuine faith to be convicted of something that is actually opposed by their faith? The KKK claimed to be doing the work of God, but NONE of it is actually supported by Scriptures, its supported by thuggery & murder. I might claim to be the real Bill Gates and want the imposter arrested and all the billions of dollars sent my way. Claims should be ignored unless they're to be tested properly and with great rigor.
It'd be like saying Stalin was a devout atheist therefore all atheists are genocidal monsters and atheism is one of the most callous murderous of all the religions or worldviews. It doesn't stack up very well at all.
The Disciple Paul wrote letters to 7 Churches and remember this was in a time when Christ had not long before being crucified. The people who witnessed His miracles and His life first hand were still alive so these people were in that church for strong evidential reasons. Yet some of those churches were doing well, some not so well and some were sliding well away into a horrid descent away from Christ to the point they were approaching the domain that's somewhere between non & anti Christian doctrine. Even in THAT day, they could pervert the Word and instructions of Christ and head towards being a false religion. So its uniquely part of the human condition to stray from the path which is obviously better for all.
Its what we humans tend to do sooner or later.
How do you keep it in check? Its not as hard as you think, you just head to the source document, the reference point. In the case of Christians, its the Bible. Paul even mentions the "Bereans" who listen to their pastor, then check the Scriptures "to see if it is so".
Now if the clergy and upper ranks of the Roman Catholic Church been Berean like for the past 1500 years much murder, abuse and oppression could have been avoided. The Dark Ages were a time when education was reserved for the ruling class and the church. If you were a peasant and caught with a Bible in your possession you could be put to death. Control the Bible, control the powerful church. And they did with services all going into Latin to further exclude the lay people from applying a Berean principle. Soon a lot of non Biblical doctrine crept in and most people didn't know any better or if they did, perhaps they were scared of death or ex-communication. The latter was a slight longer path to death.
In any case, when people say Christians killed and oppressed, that the Catholic priests raped children then hid the offenders, while that's proven to be correct fact is, it wasn't the Christian faith doing that, it was a false religion. No guilt is removed, no objection over ruled, nothing is excused or explained away...the offence remains an ugly stain on human history, it just wasn't Christian actions even though maybe some of the poor souls thought they were killing in God's name.
It doesn't line up with proper, in context exegesis of the Scriptures. If it falls outside the Scriptures its a deliberate sinful and criminal act committed by people of a false religion or by done by people fooled into thinking they're doing God's work by a perverted hierarchy.
Islam - Oh here's where it gets uncomfortable even for the PC swilling leftists. Islam is a virtual no go area...or you're a bigot, an intolerant bigot. Seems more like agree with me or you're a bigot.
Anyway is Islam different? No apply the same process to Islam. Its interesting, there are good muslims in Australia and elsewhere, living in peace and harmony. They are not universally declared guilty of the acts of ISIS and deported. Some are regarded as being covert supporters of Muslim aggression but again the only answer here is to look at the culprits and the crimes or atrocities they commit and the reasoning they use to back what they're doing.
Then use proper in context exegesis of their scriptures to see if it lines up with their religion.
In any case, yes prosecute and where guilt is proven convict & sentence. But the main aim should be, line it up with the scriptures they go by. Why? One word.
Heresy.
In Islam, committing heresy is a very serious offence. Its no more no less committing an act that's contrary to their prophets instructions. Once heresy is the laid charge things get pretty real and pretty heavy.
A group of muslm clerics can easily say they do not support this vile action, or that vile action. That that action is not what they're about. That they do not support such attacks or actions.
Well why?
Use your holy scriptures to outline why because the culprits are clearly on a holy war, use the holy word of the scriptures they purport to operate under & properly cite and explain the folly and heresy of their actions. No card carrying, self respecting muslim would like to be accused of heresy.
Once a group is labelled apostate and heretical then there is a religious duty for all muslims to come out against the apostates. Its possible that moderate, good muslims probably prefer the more moderate muslim life because raising the level to sorting out apostates gets to be a very ugly, messy business & possibly something they wouldn't want to have become common place.
For now though, opposing the KKK is easy if they declare they're on a holy mission. Open the Bible and refute their actions for the true hate filled crimes against humanity that they are. You can do so by just using the Bible they vaguely say supports their actions...when it says the exact opposite.
Apply the same process to Islam or any other religion that's rising up against its unbelievers.
Its possible ISIS is more to do with tribal war, or gang behaviour on steroids or it maybe a a very unholy war.
But until our political leaders are the Australian based religious leaders to apply chapter and verse with proper in context exegesis and identify actions and people as heresy filled apostates we've got hollowed words. Lip service is tolerated, apostasy is not. No one seems to want clerics to stand publicly by the standard they purport to uphold. Ah that's Islam & the Catholic Church who also avoid use of Scripture due to the embarrassment it causes.
Journos, step up. Ask the clerics to cite chapter and verse. Ask if under Islamic scriptures are the actions and atrocities actions of apostates.
Re the Greens like latte set who call anyone of a different view bigots, intolerant...shelve your offendedness because if you have no standard to go by except what you make up, its not a standard at all. Its a self made opinion.
Oh the reply would no doubt be "I am offended by your comments"
My question, my only question would remain...
"And, so what?"
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