[Osx-nutters] jesus camp

[David Cake]

>>	Religious terrorism doesn't just suddenly spring into peoples 
>>heads. You can't just assume that religion is like schizophrenia. 
>>Religious groups have an ideology, a grievance.
<snip

>It may not be schizophrenia, but it may have commonality with other 
>mental illnesses/conditions. paranoia ...

	Yes, thats the way to build a productive dialogue and a 
realistic insight into the issue - assume anyone whose worldview you 
don't understand is therefore insane....

>>
>>>But "because the voices in my head told me so" isn't any basis for dialogue.
>>>
>>
>>	Nor is it the basis of any major world religion. What you are 
>>saying is that you think religious terrorism is special because you 
>>don't understand them -- this has more to do with you than them.
>>
>
>What was the experience of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus? 
>If you're a Christian believer, he had a conversion experience after 
>an encounter with Jesus/the holy spirit. If you're a 
>rationalist/empiricist/whatever you look for some other explanation; 
>voices in his head fits nicely. Certainly Paul can't be considered 
>the "basis of a religion," but there are very few individuals, if 
>any, who did more than he did to advance the cause of Christianity. 
>On a more contemporary note, how is this different from the 
>experience of a(n otherwise rational) co-worker who quit his job to 
>go to seminary because he had a calling from God?

	I didn't say that extreme subjective experiences may not be 
part of some religions, just that they are not its basis. The basis 
of religions is theology, morality, and faith.

>>>Political suicide bombers do it because they want their
>>>
>>>children/relatives/tribe/whatever to get the benefit of their 
>>>political goal.
>>>
>>>They can be reasoned with because it's all about the goal. If your goal is a
>>>
>>>shortcut to heaven, there's nothing anyone can offer you.
>>>
>
>>	Suicide bombers bomb because they want to advance a political 
>>goal. They might be more willing to countenance the suicide part 
>>for religious reasons, but that doesn't explain why they bomb. And 
>>after all, we really care more about the bombing than the suicide 
>>part.
>>
>
>They may do it for more selfish reasons if their theology 
>*guarantees* them instant accession to heaven as a result of their 
>actions.

	Sure. But being a terrorist willing to commit murder is the 
problem. A slight increase in the willingness to commit suicide in 
pursuit of murder only mildly exacerbates the problem.
	Cheers
		David
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