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Peaceable
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Not sure I agree here. Typically those who engage in this are consciously acting against their religious beliefs, ( assuming they hold religious beliefs in the first place.)
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JerryZ
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Well, for starters I would counter that the devil is a Spirit being. Same as the Angels, in fact he was one of the Angels.
Also when you say that he has not appeared I would counter that many people have indeed had encounters with him. And further most of them did not like it one bit.
As for wars caused by religion that is just demonstrably not correct. More wars and more human life has been destroyed by atheistic regimes in the last 200 years than the previous existence of the human race on Earth. And that is information that has been compiled NOT by any religion but by very secular institutes of higher learning. So anyone can google that information.
Finally the assertion that Religions don’t bring any benefit to humanity. Again I would recommend you google where the first Hospitals were created and by whom, University, Preservation of antique books, Science.
Believe it or not many many monks and priests were also scientists. Please guess to which Church they belonged.
Just my 2 cents.
Peace!
Also when you say that he has not appeared I would counter that many people have indeed had encounters with him. And further most of them did not like it one bit.
As for wars caused by religion that is just demonstrably not correct. More wars and more human life has been destroyed by atheistic regimes in the last 200 years than the previous existence of the human race on Earth. And that is information that has been compiled NOT by any religion but by very secular institutes of higher learning. So anyone can google that information.
Finally the assertion that Religions don’t bring any benefit to humanity. Again I would recommend you google where the first Hospitals were created and by whom, University, Preservation of antique books, Science.
Believe it or not many many monks and priests were also scientists. Please guess to which Church they belonged.
Just my 2 cents.
Peace!
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Inbonum
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You said this in your first post.
And after that you say this in post 43
How do you know he’s tempting you?
How do you know he’s phisycal?
Have you seen him?
How does he looks like?
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TheHolyTrinity
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The Crusades were, in large part, a defensive war against the unjust aggression of Muslim invaders. Just to remind you that the Muslim holy war or jihad started in 630 AD. The European Crusades started in 1095.
For further reading and understanding read here: Timeline of the Islamic Crusades
The Europeans in South America (unwittingly, we must presume) brought with them diseases like smallpox and measles for which the indigenous populations had no resistance. The diseases swept through the lands from coasts to mountains to jungles, from community to community, leaving a trail of biological destruction.
About 95 per cent of the deaths of local people were not from guns but by this far more dangerous weapon that nobody could see.
Most child sexual abuse is not committed in a religious setting; it is largely committed by a child’s family, and extra-familial abuse can be committed by anyone a child has any sort of relationship with. Perhaps the biggest lesson we learn with child sexual abuse in religious settings is that there is no title someone can hold that means they are automatically safe to be around children. Hence why measure to keep both child and adult safe have been put into place.
Hilter, may have thought twice if the Armenian Genocide had not gone barely noticed. Hitler and the Armenian Genocide | Genocide Education Project
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Tommy999
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In the Bible, which physically exists, St Paul describes the devil’s stomping ground, which is in the spiritual realm.
Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
However, the spiritual realm definitely influences the physical. St Paul is a classic example of that.
He had a cushy and influential job persecuting Christians before he had a literal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Atcs 9:1-9) and was transformed from a chief persecutor of Christians to one of its main proponents, enduring physical torture and persecution and eventual death for the cause of Christ.
If someone denies the existence of the devil in the spiritual realm and how the spiritual influences the physical world, the evil one doesn’t have to work as hard on that person because he has that person just where he wants them.
I’m encouraged that you came to CAF to discuss the role of faith and the Church in the world. Perhaps you should open yourself up to the possibility that there is more to our existence than just what we see physically. I pray you would do just that some day, Ben.
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Just a gentle correction, if I may: To portray ‘jihad’ as a ‘holy war’ cannot be correct. ‘Holy war’ is rendered ‘al-harb al-muqadas’; a phrase that does not exist in Qur’anic Arabic. According to the Qur’an no war is holy; not under any circumstance.
Peace.
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goout
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How you gonna measure the evil?
Let’s use body counts ok?
What religion are Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc etc etc…?
Yes, let’s blame all religions for evil.
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goout
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And the second elephant in the room is: if you are going to blame evil on the choices of religious people, are you also willing to be consistent by crediting religious people for the enormous good we do? You do want to be consistent, right?
Did you know the Catholic Church is the largest NGO charitable organization in the world? Have you heard of Catholic Charities?
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TheHolyTrinity
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In his introduction to the ‘Book of Jihad and Expedition of Sahih Muslim’ the translator (Abd-al-Hamid Siddiqui) makes the following comment:
‘The word Jihad is derived from the verb jahada which means: ‘he exerted himself’. Thus literally, Jihad means exertion, striving; but in a juridico-religious sense, it signifies the exertion of one’s power to the utmost of one’s capacity in the cause of Allah. Thus Jihad in Islam is not an act of violence directed indiscriminately against the non-Muslims; it is the name given to an all-round struggle which a Muslim should launch against evil in whatever form or shape it appears.’
We see that we must strive in Allāh (subḥānahu ūta’āla)’s path; or in His way; or in His cause. But what does this mean?
His path; His way; His cause; each of these means the same thing: That we should strive to uphold His commandments, and to turn away - in condemnation - from all He has forbidden. We should strive to excel in prayer; in charity; in good deeds of all kinds; in standing up for what is true against what is false; and yes, in fighting when we have to.
The expression ‘fighting in the way of Allāh’ is rendered: ‘Qital fi sabilillah ’
Indeed, there are some who portray ‘jihad’ as a ‘holy war’. I repeat, this cannot be correct.
Your Mission (should you chose to accept it) is to search the Qur’an until you find just one verse containing the words ‘al-harb al-muqadas’ (‘holy war’).
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Salibi
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I think the interpretation you posted is more Sufi-stic (Not a real word; I just coined it-I mean it’s a view commonly held by Sufis) and fundamentalists may disagree.
But then again, Islam is a world in of itself and is as diverse in its sects and interpretations of its Scriptures as Christianity.
You’re our resident Muslim, so I’m sure you’re aware of this :crazy_face:.
But then again, Islam is a world in of itself and is as diverse in its sects and interpretations of its Scriptures as Christianity.
You’re our resident Muslim, so I’m sure you’re aware of this :crazy_face:.
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Salibi
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Al hamd li Allah 
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Thank you for your concern, good friend. It is much appreciated.
May the Lord bless and keep you.
.Thank you for your concern, good friend. It is much appreciated.
May the Lord bless and keep you.
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Ilija
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The devil is spiritual being, therefore it can’t do physical damage except trough obsessed and those who turn blind eye to holly spirit.
In an imaginary world, if all major religions would join forces to fight evil, and if that turns out to be successful, then there would be those who would abuse it, meaning new source of evil would happen.
In short, the evil has no end, the evil can’t be fed, it can’t be stopped only with our free will.
The evil is one big mystery, it’s best described by Pope Benedict:
https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Evil-Benedict-Meridian-Aesthetics/dp/1503602737
And you, also.
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openfordiscussion
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Ok thanks for the clarification of that. It is greatly appreciated.
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