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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neocon who wrote (72520)	1/18/2000 2:30:00 AM
From: Edwarda	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Exactly. And you are quite correct, it is of no matter whatsoever why various religious beliefs were adopted when one is seeking to understand how they gave shape and meaning to events and to people. Why they were adopted is a wholly different question, although an interesting one in its own right and worthy of discussion. However, without a vivid comprehension of Islam and Christianity at the time, the Crusades make very little sense. The economic reasons are obvious, but the way they took place does not make sense--the ways that the battles took place, who participated, what lands were the subjects of the most bloody battles. Without a similar comprehension, the Inquisition in Spain, the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, the burning of "heretics," the hanging of witches in Salem, the cruxifixion of the Japanese martyrs, the apparently suicidal behavior of the Boxers in China, Jonestown in our own time--none of these make sense. They appear simply barbaric slaughter and stupidity. I use the word "comprehension" advisedly. It is more than merely reading; one has to be able to feel the force of the belief, to enter into these people's worlds. IMO, this comprehension is a necessary tool for our children to live their lives, regardless of their own personal beliefs. I am not speaking about whether one is an ardent believer of whatever stripe or an atheist--regardless, if one cannot feel what drives other people, even though it might be utterly different in content, then the step to bigotry is a short one.