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originally posted by: 19Bones79
a reply to: whereislogic
Isn't an absolute belief in one religion's story a form of spiritual nationalism for lack of a better description?
Rumblings on Religion
Israel’s military advance into Lebanon prompted much comment on what is behind the hatreds that seem to pervade the Middle East. “The great tragedy,” observed Dennis Braithwaite of The Toronto Sun, “is that the Israelis and the Palestinians, both Semitic peoples, should be warring at all over territory in which both are at home and could logically share in peace.” In Braithwaite’s opinion, “all that really divides them is religion; the rest is rationalization, propaganda, lies. . . . Take religious fanaticism out of the equation, and what have Arab and Jew left to fight about?”
But the columnist noted that religious hatreds are not limited to the Middle East: “Observe the insanity in Northern Ireland, where two conceptions of the Christian religion have caused people who look alike, talk alike and spring from the same soil, to lock themselves in a death struggle that baffles the outsider. What but religion keeps the IRA and the Ulster Defence League in constant plots of assassination and reprisal? When they’re interviewed on television, you can’t tell one from the other.”
Braithwaite went on to state that “religion is but one form of nationalism, the concept of ‘them’ and ‘us,’ . . . the greatest threat of all to mankind’s future.” Is it not likely that this awareness of religion as a “threat” will continue to grow and finally bring upon her the anger of the nations? Bible prophecy bears out that militaristic nations soon will turn against religion and destroy her like a hated harlot who has taken advantage of them for too long.—Revelation 17:1, 2, 5, 15, 16.
originally posted by: sine.nomine
a reply to: 19Bones79
I think you're describing fundamentalism. It's ok to have beliefs and not be absolutist about it, in my opinion.
inventing the concept of a dark secret society of "Zionists" who were trying to take over the world
The Protocols is a fabricated document purporting to be factual. Textual evidence shows that it could not have been produced prior to 1901: the document alludes to the assassinations of Umberto I and William McKinley, for example, as though these events were plotted out in advance.
restored prosperity after a deep depression; rejected the inflationary monetary policy of free silver, keeping the nation on the gold standard; and raised protective tariffs.
Hitlers book "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle) explained his belief that all the problems Germany had suffered; from losing the First World War, hyperinflation, and the inability of the Weimar Republic to govern, were all due to the influence, and were at the plan of, Zionism.
These Nazi's classified millions of fairly normal and peaceable people, who had retained their ethnic culture, but had also integrated with European society quite well, as if they were terrorists plotting the downfall of all 'native' ethnicities.
At the time of the Nazi governance of Germany, there was no state of Israel and although there were movements to establish a homeland for the Jewish people, this was different than a secret society trying to rule the world.
Many orthodox Jewish groups were critical of the creation of the state of Israel, for fear that it drew attention to them, ethnically, so shortly after the Holocaust.
Consider that they had been there, living in Europe, for nearly 2,000 years before the Nazi's. That's a fair amount of time to integrate into the community.
Most of the people killed in the Holocaust would have declared themselves Germans (or Polish, or whatever), although they were probably aware of their Jewish heritage somewhere in their past, especially when the details had been recorded in passports, census records, tax returns, synagogue membership lists, parish records and police registration forms for at least centuries.
originally posted by: 19Bones79
a reply to: chr0naut
I started a reply and got busy and only after typing my response did I realize I incorporated your previous response as well so I apologize for any confusion if any.
What's your personal take on how accurately the protocols describe the world we find ourselves in today?
inventing the concept of a dark secret society of "Zionists" who were trying to take over the world
From the Wikipedia link:
That's weird. Assassinations are usually plotted out in advance.
The Protocols is a fabricated document purporting to be factual. Textual evidence shows that it could not have been produced prior to 1901: the document alludes to the assassinations of Umberto I and William McKinley, for example, as though these events were plotted out in advance.
Reading up on Umberto I he was quite the controversial nuisance for his time.
As for McKinley,
It's not hard to see how he might have upset the international bankers.
restored prosperity after a deep depression; rejected the inflationary monetary policy of free silver, keeping the nation on the gold standard; and raised protective tariffs.
What were the reasons he gave for saying that? Were they in positions to have influenced these events? And does it line up with what is written in the protocols?
Hitlers book "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle) explained his belief that all the problems Germany had suffered; from losing the First World War, hyperinflation, and the inability of the Weimar Republic to govern, were all due to the influence, and were at the plan of, Zionism.
Why was the idea of Jewish genocide in Europe written about from a Jewish perspective multiple times over several decades prior in various European countries in different newspapers?
These Nazi's classified millions of fairly normal and peaceable people, who had retained their ethnic culture, but had also integrated with European society quite well, as if they were terrorists plotting the downfall of all 'native' ethnicities.
These events were hot topics of discussion not only in the protocols but also elsewhere long before the rise of the nazis, and the two issues are definitely intertwined as necessary objectives according to certain viewpoints.
At the time of the Nazi governance of Germany, there was no state of Israel and although there were movements to establish a homeland for the Jewish people, this was different than a secret society trying to rule the world.
Many orthodox Jewish groups were critical of the creation of the state of Israel, for fear that it drew attention to them, ethnically, so shortly after the Holocaust.
And they their opinion mattered not as they were not the ones calling the shots. They were powerless in organizations such as the international Jewish congress.
Consider that they had been there, living in Europe, for nearly 2,000 years before the Nazi's. That's a fair amount of time to integrate into the community.
Indeed. Which makes it all the more peculiar why they were expelled hundreds of times during this time period from most of not all European countries and/or territories.
Most of the people killed in the Holocaust would have declared themselves Germans (or Polish, or whatever), although they were probably aware of their Jewish heritage somewhere in their past, especially when the details had been recorded in passports, census records, tax returns, synagogue membership lists, parish records and police registration forms for at least centuries.
It's fair to say there are innocents among EVERY group of people.
Just like the Palestinians.
Although there are people supporting Israel in the present day conflict who agree that they must either relocate all the Palestinians and send in the IDF to eradicate all those who refuse to leave.
The more things change the more they stay the same it seems...
originally posted by: 19Bones79
a reply to: chr0naut
But not centuries in advance.
What are you talking about?
originally posted by: 19Bones79
a reply to: chr0naut
Sure, but nobody claimed any assassinations to have been planned centuries in advance.
originally posted by: whereislogic
originally posted by: sine.nomine
a reply to: 19Bones79
I think you're describing fundamentalism. It's ok to have beliefs and not be absolutist about it, in my opinion.
In earlier years most societies lived in an atmosphere of moral certainty based on traditional beliefs. Now those beliefs are challenged or rejected. Many intellectuals assert that there is no God and that man is alone in an indifferent universe. Many scientists teach that mankind is the result of chance evolution, not of the actions of a loving Creator. A permissive mentality prevails. The world is plagued with a loss of moral values on all levels of society.—2 Timothy 3:4, 5, 13.
Fundamentalists hanker after the old certainties, and some of them strive to bring their communities and nations back to what they feel are proper moral and doctrinal foundations. They do all in their power to force others to live according to a “correct” moral code and system of doctrinal beliefs. A fundamentalist is strongly convinced that he is right and others are wrong. Professor James Barr, in his book Fundamentalism, says that fundamentalism “is often felt to be a hostile and opprobrious term, suggesting narrowness, bigotry, obscurantism and sectarianism.”
Since nobody likes to be called narrow, bigoted, or sectarian, not all agree on who is a fundamentalist and who is not. There are, however, certain aspects that characterize religious fundamentalism.
Religious fundamentalism is usually an attempt to preserve what is believed to be the original traditions or religious beliefs of a culture and to oppose what is perceived as the secular spirit of the world. That is not to say that fundamentalists oppose all that is modern. Some use modern communication very effectively to promote their point of view. But they fight against the secularization of society. (“Secularization” means stressing the secular, as opposed to the spiritual or sacred. The secular is not concerned with religion or with religious beliefs.)
Some fundamentalists are determined not only to preserve for themselves a traditional structure of doctrines or way of life but to impose these on others, to change social structures so that they conform with the fundamentalists’ beliefs.
Fundamentalists are distinguished above all by their deep-rooted religious convictions. Thus, a Protestant fundamentalist will be a convinced proponent of the literal interpretation of the Bible, likely including the belief that the earth was created in six literal days. A Catholic fundamentalist has no doubts about the infallibility of the pope.
It is understandable, then, why the term “fundamentalism” evokes the image of unreasoning fanaticism and why those who are not fundamentalists are uneasy when they see fundamentalism spreading. As individuals, we may disagree with fundamentalists and be appalled by their political maneuverings and their sometimes violent actions. Indeed, fundamentalists of one religion may be horrified at the actions of those of another religion! Still, many thinking people are concerned about the things that provoke the spread of fundamentalism—the growing moral laxity, the loss of faith, and the rejection of spirituality in modern society.
Is fundamentalism the only response to these trends? If not, what is the alternative?
A Better Way (1997)
Was Einstein an idiot-savant who never should have stuck his nose into politics?
Was Einstein an idiot-savant who never should have stuck his nose into politics?