Quote Originally Posted by fantassy
Ok, I can't keep my opinionated self out of this. I'd say yes, of course a belief can lead someone to kill. Soldiers kill because of their belief in serving their country or following their leader. Crusaders killed because of their religious beliefs. Now you may say their leaders took belief and warped it, but the followers probably are merely killing out of belief.

But, as I see it, that is the problem with most religion. It comes to us after it has been warped by man. Man may claim he is relaying the word of god, but nevertheless, the message is man's interpretation of whatever divine inspiration he may have received. And man is flawed and biased. No better evidence than the Bible. It is a work of literature, and every scholar knows how many different interpretations there are for a single work or phrase. With the Bible, not only do we have the problem of interpretation of any written word, but we're dealing with a book which has been translated through several different languages. Moreover, a book which was written well after the events occurred. Yet preachers want us to base our lives and beliefs on one possible interpretation of a tiny passage from that book.

fantassy
Glad you didn't keep yourself out.

I think we see things mostly the same, with only a minor difference. I don't see the footsoldiers as killing for a belief, but for a lie. I know it's almost splitting hairs, but I really think the distinction is important. They would have gone to war anyway because there isn't a country I know of in the world that just says, "Oh okay, well you don't have to fight." so the lie of belief keeps them in line, but it's still a lie and a tool. Not a belief.

The Crusaders...well we could open up a new thread about the Crusaders and what they fought for and how they fought, but again I don't think they were fighting for a belief.

The Bible. I agree that man has warped the hell out of the message, but the basic beliefs of the Bible aren't anything I have a problem with. Be nice, don't steal...these are things I can live with so again I don't think it's the belief that's the problem, but what we as a race decide to do with it.