In article <Apr.21.03.26.18.1993.1352@geneva.rutgers.edu> reedr@cgsvax.claremont.edu writes:  >  We also cannot fail to note the intense suffering a devastation which has been >  wrecked on our world because of Christians -- who were certain they were >  following Christ.  From Captialist who have polluted the enviorment in strict >  obedience to the Gensis command to subdue the earth, to Nazi's who have >  "justly" >  punished the Jews for the killing Christ (as well as the other progroms), the >  innocent women who were burned alive in accordance with "you shall not allow a >  witch to live", the Moslems who were killed in the Crusades, the god-fearing >  men destroyed by the inquistion.  The religious wars in Spain, France, England, >  etc.  Christianity has undoubtedly caused the most suffering and needless loss >  of life by individuals whose certainity that they were following the >  instructions therein, was unquestionable.  There is much to grieve. > >  randy   Very interesting, but I also believe that you have presented a misleading argument.  Christianity is not the cause of the massacres and horrific injustices that you relate, rather they are the fault of people who misunderstand Jesus Christ's message, and modify it to suit their own beliefs and aims, rather than alter their ambitions to be more in line with those presented as desirable in the New Testament.  With every truthful and good message that carries authority or implied authority, comes the inevitable fact that some (many?) people will understand it in a distorted way, with inevitable consequences.  The Bible's message is that we are to love all people, and that all people are redeemable.  It preaches a message of repentance, and of giving.  Unfortunately, all people have deceitful hearts, and are capable of turning this message around and contorting it in sometimes unbelievable ways. This is also a fundamental Christian doctrine.  One of the problems is that you look at the world through the eyes of Western history.  I think that you will find many, many cases of massacres that were instigated by people who never claimed they were Christian.  I am not saying this to justify the massacres that were, but I am merely pointing you to a tendency which is present in humans already.  Consider the world without Christianity.  I doubt that we would have the same freedoms in the countries in which we live, if it wasn't for the peaceful doctrines of Jesus Christ. Perhaps we would even be confronted by a very harsh religion (I won't name any here, though one comes to mind) which would not even allow us the freedom of speech to debate such subjects.  Point the blame at inherent human tendencies of thirst for power, greed and hatred.  Please don't point the blame at a message which preaches fundamental giving and denial, in love for others.  Yours in Christ,  Andrew McVeigh   p.s. I believe that a line of questioning like you presented is, strangely enough, compatible with becoming a Christian. Certainly Christianity encourages one to question the behaviour of the world, and especially Christians.  I praise God for Jesus Christ, and the fact that we can doubt our beliefs and still come back to God and be forgiven, time and time again.  -- *****