may i have a word in edgewise?...

though religious teachings can have a good effect on "morals", religions
have one bad tendency...starting wars...why do religious leaders so fear
freedom of thought?...

cassiedaddy

I don't believe that it is the ancient ways of understanding our relationship with our Creator which is the cause of so many wars...it is rather caused by those who would use the differences between our beliefs as a wedge to seperate us so that there is an 'us' and a 'them' .

If we were to look at the many religions and see the things that are alike in our understandings, it could bring people together because, basically, most religions promote love and understanding.

But when we focus on the seperateness of our theologies and then augment those differences with ideology, we then use this schism as a vehicle to our most vile tendencies...greed, hate and merciless destruction.

If you're a Christian, don't blame Jesus for war...blame the priesthoods and the various churches for using Him as a banner for dealing death and destruction in their desire to amass wealth and enslave peoples for their flocks.

There is always a reason to conquer if you look hard enough.

Freedom of thought, though, rails against the very foundation of religion...dogma. The Age of Enlightenment has almost been the end of the larger churches as people began to read the religious texts for themselves. Ignorance and illiteracy were, during the dark ages, the greatest strength of the church, since only the clergy could interpret the things the Creator would have us do, thereby setting themselves up much as a government does, creating laws to fill the church coffers.

In my opinion, the fact that religions have survived at all, with the advancement of science and reason, is a testament that there is a kernel of Truth in those ancient teachings.
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Power and control are seductive inebriants few humans can withstand, especially when they think they are doing right by their lot. Free thinkers have a way of muddying the divine waters of those that think they are the conduits of God.