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From: ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Easter and the Arms Race
Message-ID: <176@spar.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Apr-85 18:54:16 EST
Article-I.D.: spar.176
Posted: Wed Apr 10 18:54:16 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Apr-85 03:48:31 EST
References: <135@yetti.UUCP>
Reply-To: ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis)
Organization: Schlumberger Palo Alto Research, CA
Lines: 44


> (I know that some Christians are not "on-side" with respect to
> developing more weapon systems and threatening global annihilation, but
> they are obviously a minority -- a deviant group.  I am more interested
> in understanding the majority, mainstream view of the Christians who
> support Reagan and Weinberger and the American "defense" budget.
> Explanations of the connection between the faith of this majority and
> their views on arms and nuclear "war" whether by mail or by posting
> will be gratefully received.

    Is Christianity really the culprit here?

    Indeed, the violent tendencies of many christian societies from the
    past have supplied a vast arsenal for Christianity's critics. How
    could any sane person want to be associated with the same religion
    that brought you the 4th Crusade, the Inquisition, the rape of the
    Third World, pogroms, the persecution of Galileo, slavery, et cetera
    ad infinitum?
    
    Accordingly, many have rejected Christianity and substituted a
    purely scientific viewpoint, perhaps with the belief that the source
    of evil was to be found in the Christian faith.

    Does this new belief stand up to critical analysis? I don't think so.
    Death, torture, and nuclear holocaust are as much the product of
    atheistic societies as they are of christian ones.    

    Today's nuclear nightmare was in existence before the rise of the
    current fundamentalist movement. And one could argue, as was 
    fashionable in the 60's, that technology is reponsible for the
    evils of the world today.

    Some prefer to blame all anti-Humanists -- this includes the
    Political Elite and their followers, the Rigid Conformists,
    international corporations, machinelike technocrats, ambitious
    executives and their wives with dishwater hands, not to
    mention certain reactionaries who, hoping to return to Simpler
    Times, would impose Old Time Religion and Blind Patriotism on
    their brethren.

    Perhaps that covers enough people to include Reagan & Co.,
    the makers of Wonder Bread, and the power structure in Russia.

-michael