Interesting discussion (???), IF one could call it that, last evening via the phone with my youngest sister who, regrettably, has just found Jesus.
Her comment that got me to thinking deeply was, " Christianity and the following of the teachings of Jesus Christ has NEVER,EVER been the cause of War or Conflict, it has ALWAYS been the Heathens and Pagans who have persecuted the Christians.
She kind of spat the Dummy and tossed out the baby WITH the bath-water when I replied with, " No, of course they haven't, the Christians simply have a Chronic and Recurrent case of Amnesia of Convenience, don't they, the FIRST episode of early Christians being, so-called 'persecuted' was circa 5 C.E. when they attacked and murdered approx. 0 men, women and children at a Temple to Apollo outside of Tarsus.
They forced everyone into the Temple, attacked the men with spears and axes, raped the women, then sealed the entrances shut, then proceeded to toss clay pots filled with 'pitch-blend' into the temple before throwing in flame torches and burning bundles of sticks, etc.
From there they went on to Caesarea, where they set about BURNING ALIVE the Priests at the Temples of Jupiter and Venus by tying their hands and feet, soaking them in pitch-blend and tossing them, ALIVE, onto a stack of burning timbers, etc, RIPPED from nearby dwellings.
No, my dear Sister, Christians are Pure, Innocent, Persecuted poor people who have NEVER done ANYTHING wrong in the whole entirety of their 2,000 years of history as a religion, so we will NOT mention the Crusades, the Slaughters of the Incas, the Mayans, all the other nations that fell to the Christian Church, the Expulsions of Jews in Europe, etc, by the Christians, the Witch Hunts, the Slaughtering of the Knights Templar by ORDER of the Reigning Pope,no we shall avoid mentioning those so as NOT to offend the delicate sensibilities of yet another deluded believer in the Greatest Lie ever told to Human kind."
Funny how, for some unknown reason, she suddenly decided to end the discussion ever so abruptly.
These people ignore and manufacture their own histories. I had one guy vehemently deny that the trinity was decided by vote - he wouldn't even look up all the councils. He started spouting scripture, which I informed him were some of the bibly parts that those on the councils he denied had used as their "evidence." Somewhere along the line, he said something about, "there it is in the King James Bible. In original English. " Those types are lost causes.
Odd you should mention the so-called 'Holy Trinity,' Yes that was proclaimed at the Council of Nicaea in 325C.E. after, according the records kept by Scribes, some heated debate over whether God and Jesus should or should NOT be included together and as one.
Eventually it came to light though that Emperor Constantine brought up the matter as way of appeasing the Roman Populace by using the "holy Trinity" of the Flavian Family as per the history of the Flavians as written by Flavius Josephus, an ex-slave of the Flavians.
It was NOT until the Third Council of Nicaea, 331 C.E. that the issue was resolved and that the Bishops agreed to have the Flavian threesome made into 'substitute' God, the Father, Jesus the Son and the remaining son, the Holy Spirit to thereafter be referred to "The Holy Trinity" of God, Jesus and the Spirit/Ghost.
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
Sorry about your sister. Was this a spousal influence?
And speaking of the Spanish Inquisition. Did Scalia remind anyone else of Torquemada?
Torquemada, who needs to be reminded of that Cruel Bastard?
Sorry to hear it.
No need to feel sorry, as long as she remains well away from me then that IS fine by me.
Sounds like she swallowed the Christian fairytale hook line and sinker! My son got sucked in, but we just avoid the subject. Same as I did with my full bore Republican father. Family should be able to transcend these issues and love each other regardless.
History is rife with incidents wherein atrocities were committed in the name of Christianity. That is history, however. In recent decades, the overwhelming majority of religious atrocities have been committed in the pursuit of the propagation of Islam.
Instead of depicting itself as the "Religion of Peace," imo, Islam (the word in Arabic which means to Yield/Surrender btw) should call itself the Religion of Pieces, i.e. BECOME a Muslim or we WILL cut you into pieces.
And,btw, Islam is FAR from alone in the stakes regarding Cruelty, Brutality, etc, etc, that it has wroughyt upon human kind since its inception.
How come you are so incredibly sane and she is so incredibly insane?
@Umbrella_Guard Same here.
F.I.I.K. ( in other words, F***ed If I know), she WAS once a decent, good, anti-religion person way back when she was younger.
Her own children are Atheists, she was an Atheists up until about 7 years ago when she started hanging around with a Mormon so that may well be the answer.
@Triphid The "temple garment" thing alone would send me running fast and screaming.
@BufftonBeotch You know about the Magic Garments of the Morons, sorry typo Mormons do you?
I'm sadly, quite acquainted with them myself since back in the mid-70's I was going out with a Mormon, though I was unaware of at the time until she 'invited' me to attend a Sunday Meeting with her, I took to my heels and burned the rubber soles of my boots trying to get away as fast as humanly possible.