Well...not exactly a prohibition, no, but close. As I remember there's something in either Peter or Paul mentioning "pharmakia", which is usually translated as "witchcraft", but which seems to have meant some kind of pagan rituals which utilized psychedelics of some sort. From the passage it was clear this was a big no-no.
As for persecution, well it's obvious there's nothing condoing that in the New Testament. In fact, in Acts (for instance) there's lots of interactions described between Paul and local pagans. The resistance by local pagans is normally tied by Luke (the author) to local ecnomic interests.
The old testament is an entirely different story, however. Non-monotheists are clearly not to be tolerated, and the Jews are actively commanded by God to slaughter all sorts of pagans in the Torah and Joshua and beyond.
-TD
From: "Kevin S. Van Horn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Trials for those undermining the war effort Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 22:09:17 -0600
Harmon Seaver wrote:
And what makes you think things would have been any better in the absence of Christianity?
You've heard of the Inquistion perhaps?
The Catholic Church (which carried out the Inquisition, in cooperation with various governments) is not the whole of Christianity. There are also the Orthodox churches, the Protestant denominations, and various other branches.
Furthermore, you haven't given any evidence that what happened in Europe was any worse than what has happened under countless tyrants the world over. Nor do you account for the crucial role the Christian religion played in abolishing slavery.
Or the War On Some Drugs, the modern inquisition?
You won't find a prohibition against using drugs, nor a requirement to persecute those who use them, anywhere in the Christian scriptures.
Any monotheistic religion is by definition exclusive
Exclusive as to what they consider proper object of worship, yes.
persecutorial of others.
"By definition persecutorial" is bullshit.
I am no longer a religious person of any sort myself, but I know from personal experience what real-life Christians are like, as opposed to the cartoon caricature you seem to carry in your head. I've experienced both the good and the bad. Do you have any real experience with Christians, as opposed to the stereotypes promulgated on TV and in the movies by bigoted screenwriters and producers?
One good thing that Christianity and other religions do is instill a sense of right and wrong in people and thereby promote adherence to basic standards of conduct. As Christianity (and religion in general) has waned in America, no adequate replacement for this function has emerged. Perhaps as a result, American culture no longer values honor and honesty. The protagonists in popular movies, TV series, and books have not the slightest moral scruples about lying, nor, in many cases, about stealing. There is no longer any shame attached to failing to keep your word. There is no longer any shame attached to sponging off of others instead of pulling your own weight. I'd like to think that we don't have to resort to superstitions to promote these moral standards, but the experience to date in America is not encouraging.
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