Societies worse off 'when they have God on their side'

[Jamie]

I think it depends which god.?

I really don't think it matters which God, there are Extremists and fools belonging to every religion. Religious worship as a whole creates problems, that arguably outweigh their benefits.

[Mr. Dick Purple]

I don't believe there's a God we choose to believe whatever we want to believe, no matter what God we believe in.

[Queen of Everything]

I think it depends which god.?

I really don't think it matters which God, there are Extremists and fools belonging to every religion. Religious worship as a whole creates problems, that arguably outweigh their benefits.

Hmmm.... that is a good point.  But I still think that if you have, for example a god who dosent believe in war and just wants peace and love.  Then your society will be taken over sooner or later.  Where as if your society's god is a god of war!!?... well thats a different story!

[Axl_owns_dexter]

Societies in which God or a higher spiritual power is completely absent haven't been all too enlightening to mankind either.  Societies that find the balance between tolerance and moral absolutes are the best countries to live in.

[Jamie]

I think it depends which god.?

I really don't think it matters which God, there are Extremists and fools belonging to every religion. Religious worship as a whole creates problems, that arguably outweigh their benefits.

Hmmm.... that is a good point.? But I still think that if you have, for example a god who dosent believe in war and just wants peace and love.? Then your society will be taken over sooner or later.? Where as if your society's god is a god of war!!?... well thats a different story!

Yeah, but there's still gonna be some asshole that'll interpret wrongly and use the word of their God to justify war, afterall Jesus is a God of love not war. And I don't think the Koran at any points tells Muslims to hijack passenger airplanes, and kill everyone on board, it's all just corrupt extremists using the bible/koran or whatever other religious documents to cater to their own greedy ideals.

[Queen of Everything]

Hmmm.... that is a good point.? But I still think that if you have, for example a god who dosent believe in war and just wants peace and love.? Then your society will be taken over sooner or later.? Where as if your society's god is a god of war!!?... well thats a different story!

Yeah, but there's still gonna be some asshole that'll interpret wrongly and use the word of their God to justify war, afterall Jesus is a God of love not war. And I don't think the Koran at any points tells Muslims to hijack passenger airplanes, and kill everyone on board, it's all just corrupt extremists using the bible/koran or whatever other religious documents to cater to their own greedy ideals.

Yeah.  But look at buddhism, Tibet is 100% that religion and they have been basicly wiped off the face of the earth.  The Muslim religion and its people will be abolished the way the world is going.  Maybe you have to have a god who is a happy medium?  That the rest of the world is happy with?  I dont think we will ever know.  And there is many more factors that play into it aswell?

[Jamie]

Hmmm.... that is a good point.? But I still think that if you have, for example a god who dosent believe in war and just wants peace and love.? Then your society will be taken over sooner or later.? Where as if your society's god is a god of war!!?... well thats a different story!

Yeah, but there's still gonna be some asshole that'll interpret wrongly and use the word of their God to justify war, afterall Jesus is a God of love not war. And I don't think the Koran at any points tells Muslims to hijack passenger airplanes, and kill everyone on board, it's all just corrupt extremists using the bible/koran or whatever other religious documents to cater to their own greedy ideals.

Yeah.? But look at buddhism, Tibet is 100% that religion and they have been basicly wiped off the face of the earth.? The Muslim religion and its people will be abolished the way the world is going.? Maybe you have to have a god who is a happy medium?? That the rest of the world is happy with?? I dont think we will ever know.? And there is many more factors that play into it aswell?

Yeah they were wiped out by people claiming to be 'working for God' that's why I think religion should be confined to private worship or at least for there to be no established religion in any country despite what the majority of the people may believe or whatever.

[POPmetal]

Who wiped out the Tibetans? I'm not aware of anyone doing more damage to Tibet than the secular People's Republic of China

[Mal Brossard]

51% actually voted for this guy?

LONDON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush allegedly said God told him to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, a new BBC documentary will reveal, according to details.

Bush made the claim when he met Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and then foreign minister Nabil Shaath in June 2003, the ministers told the documentary series to be broadcast in Britain later this month.

The US leader also told them he had been ordered by God to create a Palestinian state, the ministers said.

Shaath, now the Palestinian information minister, said: " President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God.

'God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan'.'

"And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq...' And I did.

"'And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East.' And by God I'm gonna do it'," said Shaath.

Abbas, who was also at the meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, recalled how the president told him: "I have a moral and religious obligation.

"So I will get you a Palestinian state."

A BBC spokesman said the content of the programme had been put to the White House but it had refused to comment on a private conversation.

The three-part series, "Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs", charts the attempts to bring peace to the Middle East, from former US president Bill Clinton's peace talks in 1999-2000 to Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza strip.

The programme speaks to presidents and prime ministers, their generals and ministers, about what happened behind closed doors as the peace talks failed and the intifada grew.

The series is due to be screened in Britain on October 10, 17 and 24.

[POPmetal]

The White House has denied this.

[Jamie]

Who wiped out the Tibetans? I'm not aware of anyone doing more damage to Tibet than the secular People's Republic of China

Yeah because of their religious beliefs, it can work both ways.

[POPmetal]

Who wiped out the Tibetans? I'm not aware of anyone doing more damage to Tibet than the secular People's Republic of China

Yeah because of their religious beliefs, it can work both ways.

But the Chinese were certainly not

people claiming to be 'working for God'

[Jamie]

Who wiped out the Tibetans? I'm not aware of anyone doing more damage to Tibet than the secular People's Republic of China

Yeah because of their religious beliefs, it can work both ways.

But the Chinese were certainly not

people claiming to be 'working for God'

Yes I know, that's why when I later realised my mistake I said

Yeah because of their religious beliefs, it can work both ways.

The Chinese were people working against God.

[POPmetal]

Who wiped out the Tibetans? I'm not aware of anyone doing more damage to Tibet than the secular People's Republic of China

Yeah because of their religious beliefs, it can work both ways.

But the Chinese were certainly not

people claiming to be 'working for God'

Yes I know, that's why when I later realised my mistake I said

Yeah because of their religious beliefs, it can work both ways.

The Chinese were people working against God.

Okay, but in that case confining religion to private worship won't help much.

[Jamie]

Who wiped out the Tibetans? I'm not aware of anyone doing more damage to Tibet than the secular People's Republic of China

Yeah because of their religious beliefs, it can work both ways.

But the Chinese were certainly not

people claiming to be 'working for God'

Yes I know, that's why when I later realised my mistake I said

Yeah because of their religious beliefs, it can work both ways.

The Chinese were people working against God.

Okay, but in that case confining religion to private worship won't help much.

Agreed, but disestablishment might.