Bombing in Sri Lanka

Witzend, yes some folks with tendencies to be fanatics may be drawn to some religions. The same personality types may be drawn to extreme fanatical politics. I don’t agree with you that religion tends to attract fanatics.

That poor couple lost three of their children

This is so difficult , we in the West condemn some practices carried out in the East, is this disrespect for their beliefs?

It is the intolerance of views of others that is at the root of all atrocities, and it starts with expressions of disrespect towards those who don't share the same views.

It isn’t religion, the same is said of N.I. where Catholics and Protestants worship the same God

It’s hatred , Christianity is viewed as a western religion

The trouble with religion IMO is that it tends to produce fanatics, and fanatics like to see their religion as the perfect, divinely-sanctioned excuse for hating people of a different, or no religion, to the extent of wanting to persecute or kill them.
Or maybe people who are unbalanced anyway, and have violent/hate tendencies, gravitate naturally to fanatical groups that will condone or actively encourage barbaric acts in the name of whatever deity they worship.

Anja, I'd add some political belief systems that are rigid and don't allow for democracy.
Stalinist Russia, Hitler's Germany spring to mind. It's the fanaticism rather than the faith / political mindset that enables some to become murderous and see that is justified. It isn't ever justified

Sadly religion does seem to be one of the motivating forces for violence in the world. Underlying this is not the religious or the religion itself but the fanatics; those who think they are always right and don’t tolerate others right to have a different god or none at all.

It's a fact that people form rigid opinions - But I fail to see how religion is man made if humans are created from the cosmos/universe - I don't know that there's any escaping from the "stuff" that we are supposedly made of -- alive or dead - And with that in mind, I've a difficult time separating God from anything at all, including bombings, conflict and internet spats -

Just seen the photo of the british mum and her children who appear to have died in their hotel on holiday.

Just heartbreaking and senseless evil.

They must be so filled with hatred

I am a Christian I do not attend church as regularly as I should.

It is appalling that people are murdered and maimed whilst in their place of worship.

I respect everyone’s right to their own beliefs, but cannot get my head round that these suicide bombers actually believe they will be rewarded in heaven for murdering innocent people because they differ in faith!!!

I am amused by ‘we don’t choose to discuss religion ‘ followed by ‘ he has never taken offence at my refusal to listen’ .

In direct contrast, a wise and kind comment from annie.

momb this is typical of GG's arrogant, unsympathetic and dogmatic style of posting.
In essence, she's right because she says she's right and that's it!

Such a wicked wicked act.

Normal people will never understand wickedness like this. Those who perpetrate such acts are cowardly wicked and despicable psychopaths.

Wicked people use religion to excuse their wickedness.

It's being reported that at least 3 of the explosions were suicide bombers. How can anyone believe their God wants them to do such a thing? I just cannot grasp the concept that such wicked and inhuman acts will be rewarded in heaven. And yes I believe in the power of faith and prayer.

It is indeed terrible. However, I don't think we could or even should come to terms with it. Man's inhumanity to man just is incomprehensible!

On the BBC news this morning, 290 are now dead. Those poor people and their relatives, such wickedness is hard to come to terms with.

Prayer does and has cured illness.
"he's never taken offence at my refusal to listen to his views"
Hopefully on this site we do listen to each others views and carefully consider what has been said and respond appropriately and politely.

One has to pay for prescriptions

, and yes walk our own path and refrain from digging holes in the paths other choose to walk.

If you read my comment you know that I agreed that prayer, to a believer, is a psychological comfort but that prayer does not stop wars or cure illness. I did not intimate that it didn't help psychologically, however I did intimate that it has not (to my knowledge) stopped wars or cured illnesses or death or pain.
If it did it would be on prescription.
I find it odd that so many are ready to take offence but I've never known or heard of an atheist taking offence at people talking about prayer and 'holy' days.
My OH is Jewish but we choose not to discuss religion as he knows that I don't agree with it.
It's never, in the 5 years we've been 'together', been the issue that religion seems to be on here and he's never taken offence at my refusal to listen to his views.
That's all I'm going to say on the subject and I think it's enough to each walk our own path.

Good post Doodle. I respect all people Gabriella. I am a Christian but I respect people of other faiths and no faith. To live happily in this world it is essential we all treat each other with love and respect. As Jane10 said there have been scientific studies that show prayer works. You cannot discount prayer by saying you are glad it was a comfort to sunseeker but implying it didn't actually help.

IMO it’s people who start wars not religion. People bomb and fight because of animal rights, climate, all sorts of reasons but no one in their right mind would kill another over a difference of opinion. It’s anger and fury, the need to be ‘right’ to assert your opinion over others at extreme levels that causes this sort of atrocity. It is something that most of us couldn’t contemplate doing to another human being, some inner hatred that overrides everything else. People may fight in the name of religion but if they do that’s their excuse not their reason otherwise all religious people would be at war and this is not the case. As usual it’s a minority causing mayhem because they can. I just feel so sorry for all those who have been caught up in this dreadful situation.

Your arrogance and rudeness trumps that of any one else commenting on this thread Gabriella. You will be pleased by that of course.

People kill each other because they can. Religion may be a factor in some mass killings but not in all. In any event it’s people who kill, finding whichever distorted belief sympton supports their cruelty