Religious terrorism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Although this only barely touches the subject at large, it does show terror and abuse is not limited to a single religious group. Islam and specifically Wahhabism influence have taken things to a new level but is that the religious beliefs themselves or just the fact that we now have planes and bombs used as weapons but they have not always been around for such purposes.
In the late 70's and through the 1980's, in this country a major concern was radical Christianity in the form of what was known as Christian Identity. You had groups like "The Order" which was an outcropping from Aryan Nations to "The Covenant, Sword and Arm of the Lord", a group based in Northern Arkansas that had engaged in some acts of a criminal nature. No, they never used an airplane or straped on body bombs but had they survived and had grown in size and scope, what would they have done?
Also, one can't help but look back at Christianity in Northern and Western Europe and see centuries of abuse especially when that religion becomes an important figure to the power of the State. It was these abuses and yes one might easily IMO call this terror that led a small band of folks to place their lives in peril to come to a place called Plymouth Rock to get away from such things. It was also these Church/State alliances and their abuses that led to the "Congress Shall Make No Law Respecting the Establishment of Religion" to become an important fixture of American principles.
Radical Islam has taken things to a new level, no argument from me on that but we aren't exactly the one's with clean hands either, those of us of western European Christian decent. As for Christianity being the religion of Anglo-Saxons, well in today's world that would be a fairly true statement but not in the longterm reality. Christianity or more likely a variant of Mithraism which was the religion of the Roman Legions and whenever this conquering force siezed control of an area, they mandated their religion become the religion on the people. The religion and cultures of the pre-Roman European people are very little known because of the Roman mandate to erradicate all former practices and conform to the new "Roman" way followed in later years by monarchs who were in league with the Roman Ecclessiastical system. Non-compliance meant destruction at the hands of the conquering forces or the ruling force in later years.
If you dare, here's more on Mithratic influences on Christianity:
Part 1
Mithraism and Christianity I
Part 2
Mithraism and Christianity II
Part 3
Mithraism and Christianity III
This is not to imply that I believe Jesus never existed or that his teaching are bad. Personally, I consider them as it relates to me as of the highest need and of greatest blessing. However, I do believe his teaching were likely highjacked and then in 325 AD at the Council of Nicaea this was solidified and we had the first official combination of Religion and State as it relates to Jesus' teachings and the first to centralize the ultimate authority over this new belief system. It was also this act of centralizing power and control that led to the Bishop of Rome achieving the status of Pope. Although the Bishop of Rome had a status of Primacy at the time, this council and others to follow led to this position of Vicar of Peter and later changed to Vicar of Christ to become what it was and what it is today. I don't see this as an act of God but rather as a result of the action of men. That's how I see it anyway.
