Those men operated not only from a sense of devotion to their country, a hatred for the United States, but also from a religious fervor that encouraged them to take their own lives and the lives of thousands of others. This brought home to me that religion, in whatever form, could be not only a comfort, but also a greatly destructive force.
Even if I think of my own religion, Christianity, I am forced to admit the reality of the situation; it has not always been the gentle, caring lifestyle that's so often promoted today. In fact, even today, many Christians use their religious zeal to hurt and destroy. If I think of the past, the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the Salem Witch trials come immediately to mind when I think of how religion can inspire pain rather than joy.
Even among themselves Christians in the past have disagreed so strongly that they resorted to torture and murder. One thinks of the many "heretics" that were burned or otherwise maimed and murdered for daring to speak what they believe. Today, churches continue to fight amongst each other while forgetting the central message that Christ tried to bring us. Surely love and forgiveness should be at the heart of our world if we hope to survive in anything like the long-term. Instead, we pass laws that are based on ancient belief systems that we hardly even understand anymore.
Although...
Examples where religion has become intersected with politics are present throughout the entire history, and in more recent years, include the debates on same sex marriages or on abortion. A more specific look at the relationship between politics and religion has revealed at least three points of intersection -- the role of churches, the evolution of human rights and the emergence and impacts of religious conflicts. In terms of the
Religious Traditions Religion has played an essential role in the history of mankind. Throughout history many religious traditions have emerged -- some of them have disappeared -- and there are myriad of differences among religious traditions today. While people profess many religions, each religion then has a great deal of diversity within itself, and within each sect or religious movement (be they within Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, or any other
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In contrast, there are some symbols of Christmas that remain strongly religious in connotation. Nativity scenes, certain carols that mentioned figures that are specifically Christian, and also gift-giving that is described as being for Christmas itself rather than just "for the holidays." In general, these things are frowned upon except when they occur exclusively among members of the Christian Community. Many find public displays of these sorts to be particularly
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