--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "J. Almeida" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >Death Toll Cause >50 million Second World War >47 million Mao Zedong >40 million Mongol Conquests >25 million Manchu Conquest >20 million Taiping Rebellion >20 million Anihilation of the American Indians >20 million Iosif Stalin >18 million Atlantic Slave Trade >17 million Timur >15 million First World War >9 million Russian Civil War >9 million Thuggee >7 million Thirty Years War >5 million Congo Free State >3 million Chinese Civil War > > >I cannot decide, on the basis of this evidence, >whether the presence or absence of organized religion >is associated with large-scale violence and death. My >neighbour, an elderly Christian widow, is quite fond >of organized religion: I shall not dissuade her just >yet. >
On the basis of this evidence, I can certainly decide that the presence of organized religion has contributed to at least 16 million deaths. The blame for 7 million deaths due to the Thirty Years war and for the 9 million due to Thuggee can be placed squarely on religion. The Thirty Years War was a religious war between the Catholics and the Protestants, fought from 1618 through 1648. It was launched by the Roman Emperor Ferdinand II against Protestantism. Some estimates of the death toll in this war run as high as 14 million. The population of Germany was reduced to one third of its original level at the end of the war. Thuggee was and is still practiced in India in the name of the Hindu goddess Kali. Victims of thuggee are believed to be human sacrifices to this goddess. The killing done in accordance with the proper religious ritual involves strangling a traveller to death, and stealing his/her belongings. Having said that, I do not believe we should get rid of religions, despite all the horrible things that happen in their name, because they are also responsible for a lot of good. I only feel that we should reform them, and rethink what they stand for in the modern society. But like Sunila, I would most definitely want to get rid of all religious barriers between people. I am particularly troubled that even in this day and age all major religions and religious regimes continue to restrict our freedom of thought and expression. Cheers, Santosh =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
