Thomas, everyone can choose their own religious beliefs. My own personal opinion is that whatever you decide you believe in, you should be able to face historical fact about the impact upon humanity of your particular belief system, and deal with it. If it is something you are ashamed of, them perhaps you might want to choose a different belief system, or maybe keep the same one, but I don't see why people pretend things that aren't true. That seems like a waste of time to me.
Can you tell me why a belief system which includes cannibalism is inherently any worse than one which believes women should be burned at the stake, or one that causes such prejudice against a group like the Jews that they end up being baked in ovens? Doesn't each one result in the violent death of a human being?
I think it is frequent that people discussing Christianity and paganism throw into the mix the few cannibalistic societies that have existed on earth, for sensationalism. I am not sure it is a very fair thing to do. And certainly most modern pagans are monogamous, vegetarian, environmentalists, and have absolutely nothing to do with sacrifice of any kind, animal or human.
I think an interesting question might be exactly what you think Christianity has contributed to humanity? How do you evaluate that? With relative body counts? I think it is all very complex. |
