...and Religion Begat Terrorism...

Once again I would like to quote the head line of our daily paper, The Kleine Zeitung, of 9th January 2015:

„Terrorism has no Religion“.

I think the editors are completely wrong. Their head line should be:

„Religion is terrorism!“

I have, in prior postings here, repeatedly quoted from the Bible, the Old and the New Testament and no one can doubt that both books are full of terrorism. The Old Testament tells of Moses and his Israelites, killing members of other tribes by the thousands, killing all the people of 10 kingdoms but allowing the virgins to remain alive to be distributed, along with all the goods, to the victorious terrorists.

We read of God, as described in the Bible, the greatest terrorist of all times, since he not only ordered this multiple destruction but committed one of the greatest terror acts himself:

The Great Flood, where every living human being, except for the members of one family, and every animal, except for a pair of every kind, was killed by drowning.

The New Testament also speaks of condemnation for ever and ever to hell fire. It threatens anybody, guilty of a long long list of alleged, non-confessed „sins“ to be sent to hell and there to suffer excruciating and ever lasting pain.

Such threats surely are acts of terrorism of the worst kind.

Sura 9:5 of the Quran says this: „When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them and lie in ambush for them. If they repent and take prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way. - God is forgiving and merciful. ( he is ? after all idolaters have been murdered  !)

For this and other passages in the Quran, as well as for all the violence-inspiring passages of the Bible there are, of course, explanations. The apologists of both religions are busy explaining this and explaining that, until nothing of the original text is left for contemplation.

All of this makes absolutely no difference: I am certain that Christians quoted their Bible when they attempted to justify the killing of non-believers, as Islamists quote theirs.

In fact, it is the above quoted Sura 9:5 of the Quran which Islamic Terrorists quote most often when they go about their mayhem, in spite of the explanations and despite the claims that the Quran is a book of peace. Maybe it is. Unfortunately many of its adherents do not understand this and merrily go about killing „giaurs“ - infidels,

in its name.

Does it really matter how the book is explained ?

That the author did not mean this!... in fact, he meant that... and some other „wise man“ suggests that, no, the author meant neither this, nor that, but another thing all together.

If it takes so called „Scholars“, "Theologians",  to interpret the book in sometimes contradictory ways, then the Book is poorly written and the Author was a bad, or at best, a mediocre writer.

Over the ages religious works, interpreted in a multitude of different ways, were more a hindrance than a furtherance to   

"peace on earth to all good men."

Karl Marx, whose opinion I do not share to the slightest degree, with one singular exception, reportedly said:

„The first requisit for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion.“

Bertstravels
for the only time agrees with Karli.