~ ~ ~ *** Risks of Religions *** ~ ~ ~
Faith Holds Many Deceptions and Snares
When standing at the doors of religions, on must understand the deception and snares, for there are a great many of both.
* * * * Absolute Dangers of Religions * * * *
Absolute Dangers of Religions
Holding to any religion suppresses all sense of deeper intellect, and those defending faiths contribute to suppression of true, deeper intellect throughout the populations. The nature of all faiths removes one’s quest for true knowledge and always leads to oppression and violence against those seeking true knowledge, even if not instigated by them personally.
Contemporary and past conflicts within the Canaan region – Southern Levant – were instigated because of disputes over faith driven views of land possession. Israeli populations believe they have sole rights to the land, claims based on their creation of faith. In their view of exclusive divine rights to the land, no other people have justifiable claims to the land. Those holding to Islamic faiths hold similar views, seeing their claims as sacred, as well.
The many Christians in and beyond the Canaan region are nodding to Jewish claims for agendas of their own, agendas that include concepts wrapped within Christian Zionism, as well as Christian Nationalism. In giving support to Israeli domination of the Canaan region, Christians can justify their own claims to other regions and nations, including the United States. It also allows Christians to take claim of Heaven itself; seeing the Canaan region is for Jews, where Heaven is for Christians – a principal associated with Christian Zionism.
Those holding to Islamic faiths also view the existence of Heaven, which places them at odds with Christians. To all that, each of the Abrahamic faiths view the same patch of land as the only ‘Holy Land’ – a patch of land they have to fight for, or have others do the fighting for them. Throughout history, even well before the creation of Abrahamic faiths, people fought over that patch of land.
Claiming lands based on faith holds deep, bloody, historical roots. This goes beyond the supposed ‘Holy Land.’ European settlers in the Americas held the belief that all the ‘newly discovered’ lands were theirs to claim by divine providence and manifest destiny, granting Christians the right to take lands not claimed before by other Christians. This view enabled settlers to take possession of properties, steal wealth and resources from natives, as well as conduct wholesale slaughter of indigenous peoples; all under the belief they had divine rights other people did not enjoy. This view also cleared their misguided conscience, as they forced their own beliefs onto other people; or murder them, should they not convert. Such views continued into the Twenty-First Century.
Those holding to Christian faiths swept across the world, claiming lands held by many people living a multitude of differing cultures, all under the belief that Christians had full divine rights and provocations to do so. In their faith-driven fury, Christians eradicated many cultures, slaughtering millions upon millions. Very few had the might to resist, and that reinforced the Christian’s view that they were indeed blessed by their deity. ‘Might makes it right.’
History has shown clearly how holding to beliefs and doctrines of their faith created oppression and bloodshed on other peoples– beliefs that led them to violent actions against those other people.
Even while violent campaigns and raids from the ‘faithful’ were instigated – all under the general view of their righteousness – those of faith have, and will always, reject history and science whenever it contradicts doctrines of their beliefs. Inevitably, faith clashes with history and science at a multitude of levels, and those of faith are forced to reject both history and science in order to protect their beliefs. Such rejections prevent them from seeking true knowledge and restrict deeper intellect.
Since cosmology and other sciences show how the universe had been formed from forces of nature and atoms without the need of divinity, the faithful dispute claims from scientists. This goes much further than mere claims of the creation of this universe.
Discovering that people evolved as a branch of the animal kingdom without the need of divinity disturbs the faithful to outrage and violence. Even showing how religions arose from doctrines written by people who desired to press their personal control on populations sparks outrage.
In all that – and much, much more – those holding to their faith are forced to reject the full truth of history, as well as results from the many sciences. In their fevered rejections, they invariably experience tremendous anger, often leading to violent outbursts – or allow others to carry out violent retribution for sacrilege. Such outbursts often result in murder and destruction of anyone and anything that counters their misguided beliefs.
Even lesser acts of violence are dangerous to societies; including stifling those who would show falsehoods of religion. The supposed righteous people have burned and destroy books and materials they see as sacrilegious; prevented ownership of property by peoples of other faiths or those lacking religion; denied career opportunities to the ‘wrong sort of people;’ and so forth.
Families have ‘disowned,’ even murdered, children and relations, because those persons chose to reject the given faith. The faithful had enacted cruelty on children and relations for loving the ‘wrong sort of people’ – people of another faith or no faith at all. A great many parents have sent children out of their homes for such blasphemous behavior with little or nothing to survive on.
Simple rejection is hostile; and hostility is violent; even if not as openly violent as beating their children for rejecting the given faith of the family. However, many parents have beaten, starve and confined their children – or had others do the punishing for them – as a way to ‘instill faith’ into them. Often, such beatings and punishment resulted in death, commonly referred to as manslaughter.
Even those holding to what many consider pacifist faiths – such as Tibetan Buddhist – become dangerous for societies, in that they rely on others to protect them while they themselves won’t serve in militaries for the protection of nations and societies. Tibetan Buddhists within United States and other nations have expressed desires for those nations to pressure China in relinquishing Tibet back to Buddhists. It is clear China will not relinquish the land without considerable struggle, a struggle Buddhist won’t participate in themselves.
When considering the many wars throughout history, it’s a simple matter to discuss such disputes as being solely related to territories and resources, having little or nothing to do with religions. When international conflicts are instigated, surface reasons are most often related to disputes over territories and resources. However, when nations are ruled by theology, there is no true separation between aggression over territory and resources, and the progression of their faith, including nations holding to more pacifistic faiths, such as Hinduism. Even India had participated in many conflicts in the past, leading to more recent times. India also possesses nuclear weapons. It’s hard to call any nation pacifist when they possessed such weapons.
Let’s not forget that Israelis also possess nuclear weapons, even though they have proven to be beyond pacifistic.
Though not all conflicts are based on religious convictions, all religions lead to clashes and conflicts when in proximity with peoples of other religious convictions, or even with those having no religious convictions at all. Those holding to religions have always clashed with others – even if not openly violent. Passive aggressive behavior is a form of violence.
When considering nonreligious conflicts, trade arrangements could help resolve territorial and resource disputes. Even marriages amongst nobility and aristocracy of varying nationalities have been known to resolve many disputes; a method to blend conflictive groups into kinships. No amount of trade or interlacing of families and cultures could resolve differences of faith and religions. History has shown this over and over again.
Whether acting on – or enabling others to act on their behalf – those holding to faith and religions will continue to reject true intellect, disregarding paths towards deeper knowledge, even dragging others into ignorance. In their rejection of deeper knowledge for their faith, they take effort to prevent others from pursuing true knowledge. In doing so, they force dangerous views on populations; suppressing, even regressing progress within societies.
To truly progress, those of intellect cannot hold to faith or religions. Those who wish to pursue true intellect must do so free of restricted limitations and biases pressed by faith and religions. It is clear to anyone with deeper intellect that holding to faith squelches the pursuit of true knowledge, and those clutching to faith will reject progress of science, even ignore large portions of history that do not conform to their doctrines. History has shown how people reject deeper science and true history for their faith, doing so at the peril of their intellect, as well as progress of societies.
In the late Twentieth Century, a growing population of faithful began rejecting the benefits of immunization, disregarding history and science. In their beliefs towards their divine fabrication, those of faith rejected how scientists created vaccines that eradicated smallpox from all the populations of this world; created vaccines that made polio and measles something not to fear; as well as creating inoculations for rabies, cholera, hepatitis, diphtheria, mumps, pneumococcal, shingles, tetanus and yellow fever. The list goes on.
In their faith, those in the early Twenty-First Century further pressed their ignorance on people, pressuring populations to reject further advancements of vaccinations and medical treatments at the peril of all populations, declaring their faith as being greater than science. Those against vaccinations continue to push populations into accepting false beliefs over advancements of science.
In that pressure, they rejected the efforts of many intellectuals of history and science for doctrines of faith; rejecting history for the limited views of the clergy. They insult the knowledge and skills of doctors by declaring their faith has greater significance than the applied protection of vaccinations and medical advancements, even rejecting fortified foods that help prevent debilitating diseases, such as rickets. Many of the faithful declared their rights as parents to jeopardize the health and well-being of their children was more important than the health of all people as a population.
History has shown how faithful people rejected progress of science and knowledge well beyond medical care. People holding to the doctrines of their faith had done so with brutal, violent actions when their views are challenged by scientific evidence. Giordano Bruno was burned alive at the stake by faithful Catholics for daring to declare that stars throughout the universe had planets of their own, something proven to be true. Galileo Galilei was placed under house arrest and later convicted of heresy for progressing science of astronomy and physics, because it contradicted with their given doctrines of faith.
Many more scientists throughout history suffered under the pressures of the faithful. The faithful would rather hold to misguided doctrines taught to them by the clergy – and parents – than seek the true nature of our universe, paying the clergy large portions of their income to guide them towards ignorance.
People continue to hold to false beliefs, disregarding the sciences and true history. In clutching to their faith, the faithful remain ignorant and under the control of the clergy. The clergy continue to leech on societies and populations, pressuring their flocks to surrender large percentages of monies to them. Those of the flocks gladly surrender large portions of their income for the privilege to remain ignorant of sciences and true history.
If we would provide scientists, historians and instructors who are free of religious pressures the monies given to clergies, we would all benefit from further advancements scholarly people bring to all societies. People must see the absolute dangers of religions, as well as how those holding to faith are preventing greater advancements within societies.
People must reject the shackles of religions for the progression of science, as well as seek true, deeper history and see how religions throughout the ages have caused regression of societies. We are to view all of history in true intellectual consideration, seeing how religions have suppressed people, ensuring true history and all sciences are strongly embedded within all schools and societies.
People must realize how religions have brought people to ignorance and violence, as well as how that violence had crushed other societies and cultures, preventing them from adding unique perspectives and progressions to the greater advancement of all societies.
All peoples who hold to faith – by their very nature – rejects the truth of sciences and history. In holding to their ignorance, they spur violent behavior within populations, whether directly or indirectly.
As those holding to faith continue to suppress those who seek true knowledge and history, they continue to show how dangerous they are to all societies. Those who defend faith are enabling further ignorance within societies. Those who simply stand aside, allowing those with more aggressive behavior within their faiths to act on suppressions and violence against those seeking true knowledge and history are contributing to the dangers; and in doing, so restrict progression of all societies. In accepting any level of violence by aggressive religious persons, those who stand aside are reinforcing violent acts brought to societies.
People of intellect must speak loudly against the nature of those clinging desperately to their faith, those who would hinder progression of societies for their personal, misguided beliefs. Suppressions invoked by those holding to religions must be halted; and true knowledge, deeper history and sciences are to be elevated within all societies. Education of the sciences, as well as complete history, are to be taught within all avenues of education throughout the lives of people.
We, as people, must be unshackled from religions, so all people could thrive with advancements true knowledge brings to us all.
BCW-JZ: A masle inspired by H.G. Wells, as well as that author’s book, Shape of Things to Come (published in 1933).
© April 2024
History of Christian Terrorism
History has shown how violent Christian have been and it is not merely in the the past. In comparison, other beliefs haven't compared, though all religions have shown their complicity for brutality.
Further down is a partial listing of violence instigated by Christians through their history.
**** History of Christian Terrorism ****
Take Time to Consider the Millions of People Who died from the Hands of the Faithful. ~~~~
In the more recent days, Christians feel persecuted and picked on. It is easy to discount the history where they were the ones doing the persecutions. We must look at that history, lest blind of the nature of the people. What do you tell the billions of victims who were persecuted and victimized by Christians.
The compliant Christians who go to church, and professed it a gentle, kind religion, do so on the brutality of those who came before them. If not for those who had tortured and murdered the multitudes of non-Christians throughout history, or persecuted the wrong form of Christianity, the contemporary Christians would not have the influence to force their faith on others.
The laws, military and clergy of nations heavily controlled by Christian influences are pressed to do the unpleasant work—most always under the guise enforcing perceived decency—so others may keep their hands clean. They forget that to expect others to take up arms, or to persecute others foreseen the universe differently, is to be an accomplice. Finding some means to justify a incarceration or execution by the hands of others, still makes them guilty.
415 ce: Hypatia of Alexandria—mathematician and philosopher—was taken while she went home by a mob of Christians, who proceeded to strip, flayed, dismembered and burned body parts of the poor woman who held other beliefs, and tried to teach people, even Christians.
October 782: Charlemagne, in his effort with many people rallying to his side, conducted what would become known as Massacre of Verden, where some 4,500 Saxon captives were executed. This was one of many brutal acts by the Frank King to either convert the Saxons, or be rid of them.
1096-1291 ce: ~Crusades~ For nearly 2 centuries, Popes and Kings of Europe set forth to reclaim the Holy Land for Christendom. On 20 August 1191, King Richard ordered the execution of 2,700 prisoners, coming to be known as the Massacre of Ayyadieh. Amongst those executed would be women and children.
700-1100s ce: The conversion of Nordic peoples to Christianity was not a gentle exploit. The conversion process held an ultimatum, even a form of bribery to go along with the threat of execution or impoverishment. Many converts arose to gain the perceived riches of Christendom.
1184 to 1800s: ~Inquisitions~ The brutality of this period of history is unquestioned, and stems in great part to press the conversion of Jewish and Muslim people to Catholicism. Many say that this was a land and money grab, under the guise of religious purification. Whatever the reasons, or which the very end over the centuries the inquisitions encompassed, the brutality was severe, and fueled under the guise of faith.
1209: The Albigensian Crusade and related mass occurs, including what took place at Cité de Carcassonne, in France, was an effort to eradicate the Cathars. The brutality is spoken about to this day.
1233: People are not the only victims of Christian violent persecution. Gregory IX during this year associated Satan with cats and the saltwater of the lines began. As a misguided result, rodent population soared, allowing the plague to spread throughout Europe, decimating even more people.
1290: King Edward I, by edict, expelled the Jews from England. They remained expelled until 1657. Leading up to the expulsion, higher taxes and even having to wear badge were taking place. Once expelled, the Crown seized the property, making England a purely Christian country.
13 October 1307 (Friday): King Philip IV with the sanction of Pope Clement V, ordered the arrest, torture and execution of many Knights Templar, holding accusation of immoral practices and satanic rituals. The King owed the Knights Templar a great amount of money, giving him a more tangible reason for his act. Also the Catholic Church owed a great amount of money, and felt the Templars were a threat to their authority. In the name of faith and what is proper, they tortured and executed those men.
1448-1456 ce: As was his father (Vlad II Dracul), Vlad Tepes III (best known for being ‘The Impaler’) was a member of the Order of Dragon, and as such was bound to uphold Christendom. Though it is agreed by a most historians that his drive was personal, even to the dislike of the Ottoman Empire, his devotion to his faith of Christianity is without question. His cruelty, and use of impalement, is said to come from his time with the Ottomans, there is no doubt as to his religious convictions, and the support and gratitude he got from those of the rest of Europe for his involvement, especially the peoples of his nation. Of course, well after his death, he will become known more as a fictional character that is horrified by Christians – Dracula, Son of Dracul. As a historical note, Dracul in Romanian has become defined as ‘The Devil,’ where before it related to ‘Dragon.’ In such a shift, Romania is in conflict; seen this historical figure as a hero as well as a villain. The villain side is more obvious, as is his devotion to his Christian upbringing.
1492 into the 1800s: The colonization and conquest of the North American territories, and the conversion of natives to Christendom held a brutality that would be considered appalling in our days. The relocation and massacre of natives was sanctioned by European colonists bent on taking land and exploiting resources of the territories. Lack of knowledge or the intent to understand the native philosophies led to a persecution, often involving the executions of men, women and children during raids – many later conducted by U.S. Calvary. This include the trail of tears, the forced relocation of natives to reach desert land. Many of the promises given were broken, including support, supplies and meat (where are most of the good meat was sold to Europeans, leaving rancid meat to pass on to the natives.”
1500-1800s ce: The Black slavery trade of these centuries was acceptable by the Christian people, seeing the Black people as inferior, much of it due to the native customs practiced originally. In their taking of the African indigenous people, Christian names were given, and other pressures applied to be baptized and converted.
1517: Generally thought of as the beginning of the Lutheran Reformation– better known as Protestant Reformation – the movement was used as justification to execute a considerable number of Catholics and other non-Protestants views, including Pagans, Jews and Muslim. Even into the 21st Century, the justification for persecution continues from this Reformation.
1521 [3 Jan]: Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther because of his contradiction with practices within the Catholic Church. From this beginning, many conflicts between the Protestant sect and the Catholics occurred, holding justification for slaughtering many men, women and children.
1521 ce: The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs may have been a shorter campaign than those to they later Incas, but the reasons were much the same as with the Incas.
1529-1572 ce: The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire was speared by the riches of the nation, but held the flag of faith.
1534 ce: King Henry VIII declare succession from the Roman Catholic Church, putting the Church of England under the royal crown. This did not go without bloodshed. Many people died to make this happen.
1536 ce: William Tyndale was executed for translating the Christian Bible to English, method of execution as burned at the stake. Some mercy was given with strangulation, before the body was burned. How many have been burned or otherwise murdered for such a simple act of faith.
1536+ ce: Starting in this year, the Portuguese Inquisition was a Catholic oppression against Jewish peoples, moves alums and Protestants – any belief that was not Catholic. As with other inquisitions, once found to be unsuitable, death was brutally executed. Many of the bodies were just grouped with the trash in landfills.
1553-1558 ce: During her reign, and her attempt to restore Catholic doctrine and obedience to the Pope, Queen Mary I of England (daughter of King Henry VIII) conducted a campaign to execute Protestants, earning her the reputation of “Bloody Mary.” The enactment of the Heresy Acts by the Queen, in conjunction with the Pope, allowing for the persecution of Protestants. This internal Christians struggle became violent, with no less than 280 Protestants burned at the stake for heresy. Many others were simply murdered for having a difference in beliefs.
1560-1812 ce: Goa Inquisition in India was part of the Portuguese Inquisition, bringing thousands of Hindus to trial, executing an unknown number, many of them “burned in effigy.” The tensions between Christians and Hindu find their origins in this era, and continue to this day. The pressures within the country from Christians demanding conversion brings out anger.
1600s: During the Reformation of Ireland, it was prohibited to own Old Irish manuscripts and most all pre-Christian works were burned by Christians.
1600-1700s ce: Puritans, in their press to apply a their doctrine on to the general population of England (which they succeeded to do from 1649-1660 ce, known as the Interregnum, shown separately), created many tensions between the peoples, and was eventually expelled. The Netherlands accepted them for a short time, until the Puritans started doing the same there. Eventually, some gained passage to the Americas. This was a group who force their views on others, and was later thought of as martyrs of religious freedom, though they do not grant religious freedoms to others.
1612 ce: The Pendle Witches Trials, had 12 accused of practicing of witchcraft, one died in prison, with the other 9 women and 2 men going through trial. One was not convicted, and the other 10 were hung. This was not a simple murder trial, having the use of witchcraft as the method of murder. This was the more famous of the many witch trials throughout British history with many hung for having differing views.
1636-1938: The Pequot War is presented as a trade dispute with a good number of controversies. Controversies place aside, this is a layered conflict by Europeans – Christian Europeans – fighting for supremacy on a people who are different. Whatever the reasons, this was still a violent act involving the Dutch, English and Native Americans over settlement and causes were not as discriminative as once believed.
To pushed the conflict to their side, the English torched the Pequot village – referred to as the Mystic Massacre – something we would call up horrid and criminal these days. Without that act, the Dutch would have maintain position with the Pequot and the English would not have a strong position. As a result, hundreds of the native people not executed were sold into slavery.
1649: With the English Reformation as backdrop, Charles I of England was executed after a trial. Though evidence of treason’s were presented, the motivation underlying the events were religious persecution and intolerance.
1649-1660 ce: This period of time in England, Scotland and Ireland, known as the Interregnum, saw the suspension of the royal authority, and suppression of holidays, including Easter and Christmas, brought forcibly by Puritans. This period of history, and the civil war that started it, held a considerable number of deaths and destruction of property, including the removal and burning of religious icons. Though there was a greater tolerance of religious factions, most groups, especially the Catholics were not accepted. The Jews were allowed to return to England during this period, in 1657.
1692-1693 ce: The Salem Witch Trials show how a group of people can take faith to a persecuting brutality, seeing it as a purification of their community.
1800s: European settlers in the Americas began taking scalps of the ‘Heathen’ natives, considering them subhuman and savages, lacking proper ‘Christian’ ways, gaining a couple dollars for each black haired scalp. The natives retaliated. How can decent people blame them.
1819 ce: Though reputed as a peaceful conversion, the Hawaiian people were not able to practice their past heritage as they once did, pushing it to tourist curiosity.
1865-present: From its inception, the Ku Klux Klan has held a radical Christian purification view, bringing forth a violent solution, known for their lynchings and live burnings, as well as destruction of property by fire with people in them.
1884+ ce: Coercion to convert is not necessarily obviously violent. Throughout history, many traditions not seen as Christian had been banned, to facilitate conversion to Christianity. Many tribes, including the Tlingits, went through such a legal conversion process when there potlatch traditions were made illegal. In 1875, Missionary William Duncan described the potlatch tradition; "…by far the most formidable of all obstacles in the way of Indians becoming Christians, or even civilized.” This tradition was a gift giving ceremony from those who did well to the people who did not do so well. Many saw this redistribution of wealth as detriment to the economy, and had it banned. Many such traditions have been restricted, leaving only one path for “decent” people.
1857 ce [7-17 Sep]: From the inception of the Mormon faith, many other Christians never viewed them as true Christians, and persecuted them to the point of driving them west. Through several migrations, they ended up in Utah. Because of their varying practices, laws were set to force compliance to a more acceptable form of Christian practices. One of the more noted events of persecution against a form of Christian belief was what has become known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, where over a hundred Mormons were killed and several others injured.
1881: In response to the assassination of Alexander II of Russia, the Jewish population was persecuted in a frenzy that erupted. This violent persecution continued for some time causing the Jewish population to depart Russia.
Early 1960s: Anti-Catholic views during the Kennedy election and administration was prevalent. During the election, the fear of a Catholic President because the number of riots. There was even fear during President Kennedy’s first visit to see the Pope. People worried that he would kiss the ring, which he did not. The violence against Catholics by Protestants shows a deep rooted selfishness of authority stretching through many centuries of history.
1960s: Missionary schools from the past, into the 1960s took Native Americans (Navajo and others) into boarding schools, punishing the children who spoke the native languages. The boarding was not voluntary, with many weeping children being pulled violently from their parents.
20th Century wrap: The unpublicized persecution and deaths of Blacks, gays, lesbians and others of ‘questionable’ peoples is unknown. What is clear is the Christian doctrine used to apply justification for such persecutions and executions. It was done for the betterment of faith in country. Such views and application continues into the 21st Century.
The number killed in firebombing of medical clinics (most famously Planned Parenthood) that provided abortion services are numerous and applied with religious convictions of Christian faith. The application was to scare others away, the very definition of terrorism. Some of these acts were by a group who called themselves the Army of God.
2019: In Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the death of a seven-year-old boy occurred when beaten and forced to carry a log weighing 44-pounds for not knowing a few verses from the Bible. Three of the boys family were charged for murder and neglect.
2015 [Aug]: By this month in Texas, no less than seventeen transgender people had been murdered, most beaten to death for their lifestyle by those feeling such people were a blight on their faith and country. Unknown number of gay/lesbians have been killed for the same reasoning.
2015 [17 Jun]: During the Bible study at the Mother Emanuel AME Church (Charleston, South Carolina) when Dylan Storm Roof (white, male, age 21) shot and murdered 9 people in an effort to instigate a race riot. As a white supremacist, this aggressor held his Christian upbringing as superior to all other peoples.
2015 [Oct]: Two brothers who wished to leave the church were eaten at the Word of God Church for fourteen hours until one was found dead. The deacon admitted knowing the parents and others of the congregation were beating the boys for expressing their desire to leave the church. The beatings were explained as trying to gain confessions of sins and for the boys to seek forgiveness. Even if others didn’t become physical in the punishment, their complacency of the act – even encouragement – was compounded over time with verbal and coercive manners. This is not a remote incident.
Progressing through the 21st Century:
The centuries of brutality allows the current generation the right to profess their peaceful intent, having the might of governments to back their views, should their authority be challenged.
Financial and military strength of America and Europe – seen by a few as Christian nations – allow Christians to press their faiths and philosophies on others by declaring non-Christians as dangerous to the peace and well-being of ‘decent people.’
Christians are not peaceful, gentle or forgiving. They are not only forcing one ideology, the higher echelon of Christian ideology is wrestling for supremacy of authority over everyone. Let’s not be full by their victimized stance and finger-pointing.
These ‘gentle Christians’ will press their way by force; whether economically, imprisonment or execution. History has shown their intent. It is no different from other dictatorial regimes throughout history.
Twenty first century Christians may be more passive aggressive than active aggressive, though that doesn’t make them less violent. Having centuries of other Christians forcing their principles on others by force, coercion, murder and open warfare gives later Christians the luxury of discounting past history as ill relevant to their lives.
Those later Christians, having considerable military might feel it justified to send out armies, navies and aerial assaults to further their position over others. They do so to spread Christian doctrine as superior, claiming others as aggressors when resistance is presented.
Instead of holding personal views of faith private, Christians evangelize to others, limiting economic prosperity to those who are not Christian, manipulating laws to gain benefit over others.
Firebombing and shootings at temples and mosques with deaths and wounded piling for decades into the 21st Century is still violent no matter the justification. Persecution and violence throughout the entire population – no matter what misguided doctrines are used – must cease. Christians have been promoting themselves as victims and peaceful; yet history shows otherwise and Christians must be recognized for what they have done in history.
Additional Considerations:
Science has also been persecuted by Christian people and authority, making examples out of those who would bring science to light, threatening the dogma of the Church. Some of those are Copernicus (ridiculed severely for proposals countering doctrine), Bruno (burned at the stake), and Galileo(placed under house arrest).
Protestant-Catholic wars had a great many atrocities attributed to what was considered the correct form of Christianity. This extends to Irish Catholics persecuted by Protestants, as well as Catholics against the Protestants. The fight goes both ways and is quite violent much of the time.
Firebombing of health clinics in the U.S. that offer family planning, including abortion. All in the name of religious viewpoints.
