Things Noticeable this week

[CARLTON BROWN]

Originally Posted by JJ3027

How did these terrorists get their hands on AK's and explosives? Was it mentioned in the news? Did they cross borders with the stuff? I thought that Europe (especially France) has laws prohibiting guns?

It is hardly difficult getting your hands on automatic weapons and probably commercial explosives in many parts of Mainland Europe and of course, the Middle East is awash with military hardware.

France does have laws restricting the ownership of various weapons. It also has laws that make it illegal to kill people.

When your are a mentally unbalanced fanatic with a death wish, supported by powerful extremists, the issue of having suitable equipment is going to be the least of your concerns.

[vannax]

Funny so many blame the weapons, instead of the real root cause of the issue: Islam.

[Mal Hombre]

Originally Posted by vannax

Funny so many blame the weapons, instead of the real root cause of the issue: Islam.

Religion is the real root cause,If everybody had the same religion or nobody had any,There would be a lot less trouble in the World.

[vannax]

Originally Posted by Mal Hombre

Religion is the real root cause,If everybody had the same religion or nobody had any,There would be a lot less trouble in the World.

Not all religions are so bloodthirsty.
To equate Islam with Christianity, Hindi or Judaism is equivalent to equating Labor with the National Socialists. The fact that both are socialist political parties doesn't imply that both are the same.
Islam seek to force everyone to convert to Islam, that's why in every Muslim majority nation, other religions are either fully illegal (Like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc), fully subjugated (like Iran), systemically discriminated against(Like Indonesia), or protected by a ruthless dictatorship/military junta, like Egypt under Mubarek, Libya under Qaddafi, Iraq under Saddam, Syria under Assad or Turkey before Erdogan.

Lastly, the atheistic regimes of the 20th century are responsible for more murders of their own citizens than any state based upon Christianity or Judaism ever was.
No, I don't think religion is the problem, I think deeper than that: it's the genetic defect of the desire to bend at the knee.

[gordian_knot]

Originally Posted by Mal Hombre

Religion is the real root cause,If everybody had the same religion or nobody had any,There would be a lot less trouble in the World.

That's true, but there's only one religion today whose adherents create terror and cause mayhem around the world in its name, and that's Islam. People need to accept the fact that's it's Islam that's the root cause (or rather the way a lot of people interpret it), not religion in general.

The mealy-mouthed politicians still won't face up to it and until they do we'll be fighting a losing battle to keep a lid on it in our respective countries, never mind stopping it in ME hotspots.

[sydney1]

Hat's off to these lads. Stiff Little Fingers, one of the original Punk bands of the late seventies are taking to the stage in Paris. The band are from Northern Ireland and were formed during 'The Troubles', so they know all about nasty stuff.

If Music be the food of love, play on.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34843608

[vannax]

Originally Posted by sydney1

Hat's off to these lads. Stiff Little Fingers, one of the original Punk bands of the late seventies are taking to the stage in Paris. The band are from Northern Ireland and were formed during 'The Troubles', so they know all about nasty stuff.

If Music be the food of love, play on.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34843608

IMHO, all these candlelight vigils, hashtag campaigns and lighting things up with the Tricolor is just proof that our leaders are more interested in handling us than the terrorists.

[Dave998]

Originally Posted by vannax

Lastly, the atheistic regimes of the 20th century are responsible for more murders of their own citizens than any state based upon Christianity or Judaism ever was.
No, I don't think religion is the problem, I think deeper than that: it's the genetic defect of the desire to bend at the knee.

I think you may have reversed cause and effect; the real genetic defect is the desire to force others to bend their knees and obey the rulers. Perhaps some of us are too quick to bend the knee and follow SOBs or worse, although too often the only alternative is death.
I also think that 20th century aetheists had industrial means to make their subjects bend knees or die in horrific numbers, so the numbers were the highest recorded. They were simply enforcing their beliefs and worldview on unprecedented numbers of victims. That is a lot like cramming a religion down an unwilling convert's throat, no?
Let's not be to quick to ignore Christianity's bloody history, with crusades that indiscriminately killed Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Muslims. How about the 30 Years War, the Spanish Inquisition, and the massacre of French Huguenots? Should we forget about the deaths of tens of millions of Native Americans by military conquest, forced conversion, and disease, all done by European Christians? How about Henry VIII's murderous establishment of his Church of England, or subsequent British persecution of Catholics, Puritans, and Quakers? This is just the tip of the iceberg, and Judaism's deep past and Israel's violent history are pretty dark, too.
Scoundrel said that the problem is religion in general, and I think he is very nearly right. The problem is the toxic combination of religion and political power. Theocracies want to control everyone's thoughts and beliefs as well as their behaviors. 240 years ago Thomas Jefferson understood that all theocracies abhor freedom! Why do so few people understand that now?

[Greenman]

As Stephen Fry once remarked "Religion...SHIT IT!" I think he was on to something seeing as religion has been responsible for more and bloody wars throughout history.

Speaking of patriotism if you want a great film to see I would recommend 'Henry V' with Sir Lawrence Olivier and the arrow sequence alone is pretty stunning. It also has a speech by Shakespeare which is probably the best rallying call ever written and Olivier speaks it with great gusto...and yes it is against the French.

This morning I noticed the heightened security at some local synagogues which is not new these days, usually done during the main festivals of New Year and Yom Kippur in October. Sad these days that you're not safe even in a religious place of prayer. Churches were once used for people to ask for Sanctuary - once through the doors you were generally safe. I suppose that is why the doors are always open.

I disagree about kosher food. I eat it, I don't worry too much how it was got, only that the animal was killed humanely, but what constitutes humane these days - in many many cases the animal is going to suffer somehow - mind you sacrifices these days look just as barbaric in other religions. I'd like to think of course that it was treated well before being killed, but then I am glad I don't eat pig - something about it just wouldn't let me eat one even if I could. I have been brought up on kosher food and until a major alternative is found I shall continue to do so.

[palo5]

Originally Posted by Greenman

...I am glad I don't eat pig - something about it just wouldn't let me eat one even if I could. I have been brought up on kosher food and until a major alternative is found I shall continue to do so.

When I look at the origins of religious laws, some of them make sense to me. For example, not eating pig. If you were a bronze age person in a hot country, it wasn't safe and you were looking to get ill -- or dead -- if you ate that stuff, unless it was fresh

So it was a good idea to forbid it

But in the age of science and the refrigerator, we understand more. So I can respect the origin of the law, but keeping the tradition doesn't make sense to me

Is there something deeper that I've missed?