You certainly do live up to my expectations.
Extremism is a character trait of extremists. That sounds, duh logical, yet you do not seem to comprehend what it means. Extremists are extreme by their nature.
Oh really?!
Where does this trait come from?
Is it heritage? Or enviroment?
Yet again you act your role to perfection, let's move on.
Then they latch on to some cause to live out their extreme nature.
Ah yes, you keep speaking about the nature of the person.
How does this nature come to be I wonder?
Are we talking pre-determination of sorts, or just average random bullcrap from the interwebz?
Religion would be one of said causes. So is a love of nature, politics or even being a sports fan. Just about every facet of our world holds it's extremists. Some good, and some bad. Not all religious extremists are bad either.
I like it how you bring sports in as a comparison, as the devotion of the hardcore fan to his team is used as an example in studies of religion.
Do give some non-fictional examples of benevolent extremism.
Removing religion will not lessen the fanatics or the extremists. They will merely find another tool to live out their extremism.
Ah, yes. Extremism as an innate trait.
That's like saying certain people are born alcoholics, or criminals.
Breed before enviroment. Didn't we dismiss this kind of thing about a century ago?
Do not blame the tool if the craftsman is using it not as intended.
Since we are talking about religion, what indeed is the intended use of this tool? I'm sure you have an
opinion on the matter.
Cult like organisations. Not vague as you try to make it out to be. But simply a term to cover my own ass as well as encompassing a group larger than those groups you would classically term a cult.
My bad indeed, that was certainly highly specific.
The term I should have used is high demand groups though.
Random weak insult to cover up one owns lack of communication skills.
Dumbing it down makes it imprecise, and "high demand groups" would have been alot better.
Covering my ass because you will get sued for calling any organisation a cult. And this is not even in the US where lawsuits are as common as buying burgers.
Yes, we will definitly sue the hell out of you for labeling an organzation a cult on this forum.
Having been involved in one of these groups, getting out of it and finding myself on the wrong side of just such a lawsuit, I can tell you that religion is but a small part in the scheme of things for these groups.
Having an epxerience with such a group does not make you an expert, merely biased.
So the answer is not as obvious as you may think. But naivity on the subject makes it more comfortable for you.
*chuckle*
As for wars, I never said you said so. I asked.
Why would we be better without it? Do you think that the absence of religion will reduce the number of extremists? Do you believe that the absence of religion will reduce the number of cult like organisations? Do you even believe that the absence of religion will reduce the frequency of wars? These would all be very naive.
Ah yes, the last sentece isn't there to underline these are all rhetorical questions seasoned with a mild insult.
But like you said, religion is a tool. But what you fail to mention is that it is one of many. Here again I need to add: do not blame the tool for the craftsman's work.
I said
a tool, not
the tool. Weren't you talking about reading comprehension earlier?
Yet again I ask; What is the purpose of the tool?
If you don't define that, then your repeated mention of the craftmans sloppy work with said tool is void.
Where you do get it wrong is when you claim that "Few things are capable of rallying the masses like the call of the divine and its spokesmen."
On the contrary, any ideal that groups people can have this effect, given the right spokeman. Tool vs craftsman. These ideals are not only or even mainly religion as you try to suggest, but it includes culture, race, sexual orientaion and even support for a specific sports team. All of these are used to rally the masses.
Yes, any cause can rally the masses, be it for equality of the sexes, or a political ideal. These however do not use divine right as a justification for their cause or actions.
I never suggested religion was the only idea capable of rallying the masses. Re-read the sentence and you might get what I actually said.
Tool vs craftsman.
But please, go on. Let me hear more on how you blame one specific tool for what some craftsmen do with that.
Oh please, Every tool has a purpose.
Either define the purpose of the tool or shut up about it.
