Cyprus-Forum.com

[Paphitis]

Paphitis,
Since mankind makes religion - and religion does not have a separate pure existence independent of mankind - then to say that 'only mankind manipulates religion' is nothing more than circular. What else would you expect to manipulate religion ? Mice ? Or maybe carrots ?

No religion preaches death and destruction to anyone! But mankind does.

Really ? It takes five seconds, if that, to turn to Deuteronomy (or almost any other 'book') - I hope that you'll agree that Deuteronomy is (a) a religious book and (b) a religious text invoked by the monotheistic religions - to find example after example of death preaching, hatred mongering, and demands for a slaughter-fest. Today we'd just call this genocide - but there are lots of people out there who insist that we respect religious belief like this :

1When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

2And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

3Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

Deuteronomy 7:1-3

Before anyone says that this is picking an isolated quotation from the bible and that this is not typical, I suggest that you take a look at the bible, old and new, the koran and any other numbers of 'holy books' and you'll find that they're brimming over with smiting and vengeance and bloodlust. Just what you'd expect from primarily nomadic pastoralist tribal societies who were the primary authors.

The words of MAN and not GOD (If he does exist)!

[Tim Drayton]

Thanks for an interesting piece, Tim; if you have mastered even a few words in Sinhalese you have my admiration.

I too, find it a fascinating country and it is interesting that so many people on this Forum have varying links to such a small, and in world terms, unimportant island. If anyone who has not been, gets the chance to go, they should do so - Sri Lankans are a hospitable people - many of who bear an appealing inncence that has been lost in countires with advanced 'civilisations'.

To roseandchan, my sympathies go out to your relatives; institutional persecution is the worst kind.

I own a 52 perch plot in Colombo, though foreigners are not encouraged to buy property now, through a crippling 100% Property Tax.

I better stop now, before Mr Admin, sees me posting Off Topic in the wrong Section!

Lana

I agree. Sri Lanka is a wonderful place and Sri Lankans - regardless of which ethnic group they belong to - are marvellous people. Despite the country's desperate poverty the government there manages to maintain universal education and health care services. The population is virtually 100% literate, unlike neighbouring India where few villagers can read and write. The place has so much potential, yet the ongoing ethnic conflict has come close to destroying it. It is a shame.

[Tim Drayton]

having a member of my family who is Sri Lankan .... Oracles is correct on the Sri Lankan war.

What .. that Islam lies at the root of the Sri Lankan conflict?

Tim why do you think Islam lies at the root of this conflict?

I have already told you it is between the Sinhalese who claim to have been in Sri Lanka longer than the latter southern India-derived Tamils.

I do NOT think that Islam lies at the root of this conflict. This is your claim. To quote (from your post earlier in this thread) :

"Once again another Muslim connected conflict.

How many of the world's religion-inspired, divisional-solution seeking disputations have Islam as the common denominator?"

In my opinion Islam has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the conflict in Sri Lanka, and this is an idiotic claim. It is even more idiotic for somebody to come along and endorse this view purely out of a sycophantic, knee-jerk reaction.

Tim ... show me where I am supposed to have said Islam was at the root of the war in Sri Lanka ... those were your words.

Your link was the one which implicated Muslims in the conflict ... please have a look again.

Perhaps you need to censor your prejudices to what I say, as they are clouding your judgement.

If you cannot recognise your own words quoted back at you, there is no hope.

[Feisty]

US vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin certainly seems to think God has a hand that spreads far.

"Our national leaders are sending them out [troops to Iraq] on a task that is from God," she said. "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God's plan."

"God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that,"

"I can do my job there in developing our natural resources and doing things like getting the roads paved and making sure our troopers have their cop cars and their uniforms and their guns, and making sure our public schools are funded," she added. "But really all of that stuff doesn't do any good if the people of Alaska's heart isn't right with God."

[Paphitis]

US vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin certainly seems to think God has a hand that spreads far.

"Our national leaders are sending them out [troops to Iraq] on a task that is from God," she said. "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God's plan."

"God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that,"

"I can do my job there in developing our natural resources and doing things like getting the roads paved and making sure our troopers have their cop cars and their uniforms and their guns, and making sure our public schools are funded," she added. "But really all of that stuff doesn't do any good if the people of Alaska's heart isn't right with God."

Did GOD telephone her to inform her of these plans?

[Feisty]

Well hilarious as it is, I find it quite scary too that someone with such bloody daft notions may just be in such a powerful position.

[Paphitis]

Well hilarious as it is, I find it quite scary too that someone with such bloody daft notions may just be in such a powerful position.

Our history is riddled with such daft notions going back centuries! Nothing has changed!

[CopperLine]

Paphitis
You make a clear point

The words of MAN and not GOD (If he does exist)!

so perhaps you can help me : how do you know which are the words of god and which are the words of man ?

(I take it that something which does not exist could not in any case have or issue words. So your phrase in parenthesis 'if he does exist' is not to be taken as a serious question, but rather as an ironical expression)

[Svetlana]

The Convention was probably her first time out of Alaska - and she has only just obtained her first Passport. Please do not ask her where Cyprus is!

She is denying she was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party - ironically another organisation set on ceding their own land and declaring Independence from the rest of the US of A!


Lana

[Paphitis]

Paphitis
You make a clear point

The words of MAN and not GOD (If he does exist)!

so perhaps you can help me : how do you know which are the words of god and which are the words of man ?

They are all the words of Man!

I guess, the closest words to GOD, and provided you ARE a believer, are those expressed by Jesus Christ, the "Son of God". And Jesus, never ever expressed any words of violence or hatred. I use Jesus as an example only, as I can not comment on any other prophet, such as Mohammed or Buddha, as I know next to nothing about them or their message.

The Bible was written by Man but may include some important messages from Jesus. The Koran was written by man as well, I presume. Does that make sense?

Basically, many people manipulate God and religion to serve their needs, fuel hatreds, create wars, genocide, or use God as a business venture to make money and have power over people.

It does not mean that God does not exist. And slandering any religion is not right. It just makes you as bad as the bigoted Theocrats, which use God in the wrong context to serve themselves.

I use the irony, as I too am not sure whether a God truelly exists. No excuse though, to preach intolerance towards the believers now is it?