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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (32759)	10/16/2001 6:24:36 AM
From: Solon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

it appears that you are saying that 99% of people slaughtered in history were killed because of "absolutism in an afterlife belief". I point out that the major wars and atrocities in at least the 20th century had little to do with visions of the afterlife First of all, "the 20th century" is about one in 20,000th part of sapient history; so that, even if your statement was correct, it certainly would not gainsay mine. Secondly, the "phenomenon" I spoke of was the "...theme of absolutism." Absolutism is a political as well as a theological concept. It does not require an afterlife; it only requires pigheadedness. You make the point that "I don't see how that fact supports your statement about 99% of killings being because of "absolutism in an afterlife belief" (is supported). When I said "this phenomemon", I meant "absolutism"--in its full meaning, and not merely as my accidental conjunctive juxtaposition which "in an afterlife" might, perhaps, have suggested. My apologies for any confusion which may have ensued from my slapdash response. Absolutism as a political/theological concept still derives basically from the idea of supreme and perfect authority. The type of authority who would fulfill these conditions may be either secular or supernatural--depending on whether or not the supernatural is recognized as real. Many killings are done because of greed or anger or fear or hatred that is not due to some philosophical, political, or religious absolute idea. Well some are--at least. Relatively speaking--perhaps one out of 100 or less. But if you are trying to make the point that "greed or anger or fear or hatred" cause many killings...I agree. Also, I suppose there are examples of killings based on "greed or anger or fear or hatred" which are not due to some "philosophical, political, or religious absolute idea. I have no problem with that. My point was that most blood shed in human history was shed due to the intolerance, bigotry, and certainty, of those ignorant and insensitive people who, either wittingly, or unwittingly, believed in the certainty and "absolutism" of their point of view. Like, what kind of a human being would hang a teen-age girl as a "witch"??, thus ending the life of an innocent human being?? What kind of a person or social unit could do that?? You believe in absolutism, right? Could you do that??