MOST (notice I said MOST) religions have a history of repression, hate, and murder. Just about everywhere in history that you find religious people running, or influencing, the civil government you find repression, hate, and murder. There are so many examples of this that it cannot be denied.
1. The Jewish clerics that had Jesus crucified by the civil government (the Romans).
2. The stoning of both Paul and Stephens by the Jews.
3. The Roman Empire persecuting the Christians before Christianity became the official religion of the state.
4. The RCC prosecuting those they considered heretics
5. The Roman Catholic Church inquisitions and murder by having peopled burned at the stake.
"In the name of religion” the Catholics held Inquisitions and charged people with heresy (those that had other opinions about God than the RCC view). They then turned them over to the civil government to be burned at the stake. Christians went from being oppressed to oppressing others. By the way, Jesus was considered to be a heretic by the Pharisees and was turned over to the civil government [the Romans] to be crucified.
6. The essential rule of John Calvin as the theocratic ruler of Geneva (the city of God).
Under Calvin, Catholicism was banned as heresy and punishable by death. Adultery, blasphemy, idolatry, and witchcraft were all punishable by death. Calvin had people with different understandings of the scriptures burned at the stake.
7. Under the influence of Ulrich Zwingli the secular government executed the Anabaptists.
8. The murder, by many Muslims, that have others killed in the name of their religion.
9. The hanging of those who were accused of witchcraft in Salem during the "witch hunts."
The list could go on but these are enough. Why do these things happen? It is because of those that wish to ""impose"" their religious beliefs on others. One of the reasons we have Protestant Churches today is because of those European Governments that had a king strong enough to oppose the RCC, and it's influence over governments, at that time.
It seems to me that most people of the world have always made up a religion that would explain their existence and relationship to a god that they think exists. Many come up with religious rules to bind other people under; to control others.
As far back as we can see by archaeology and written history we find that man developed religions. They were made up of what men reasoned in their minds god was/is. Man made god according to his own imagination.
Most made up a religion that required men to do things in order to appease the god they thought they saw. In lands where there are volcanoes they saw an angry god that needed men to do things to satisfy him. This is true of the Egyptians and the Greeks. In a lot of these religions men reasoned that their god required sacrifices of some kind. Some even thought that their god required human sacrifices. Most all used their religions to oppress and foster wars against others.
Jesus was absolutely correct when He said; "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit." If the god of religions require men to persecute and kill others for him, and to impose their religious beliefs on others for him, then that god is "to small" and the hearts of those that worship that god and contemplate killing others is "to small." God does not need men to kill and oppress others for Him. As for me I judge the tree (religions) by the fruit they produce, good or evil.
Scripture:
Micah 6:6-8 -- (NKJ)
6 With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
John 16:2-3 -- (NKJ)
2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.
Acts 7:48-52 -- (NKJ)
48 "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says:
49 "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?'
51 "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him--
Heb 10:5-10 -- (NKJ)
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, 'Here I am-- it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.'"
8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made).
9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Jesus said:
Matt 7:15-20 -- (NKJ)
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
IMPO, The religious tree can not bear good fruit.
1. The Jewish clerics that had Jesus crucified by the civil government (the Romans).
2. The stoning of both Paul and Stephens by the Jews.
3. The Roman Empire persecuting the Christians before Christianity became the official religion of the state.
4. The RCC prosecuting those they considered heretics
5. The Roman Catholic Church inquisitions and murder by having peopled burned at the stake.
"In the name of religion” the Catholics held Inquisitions and charged people with heresy (those that had other opinions about God than the RCC view). They then turned them over to the civil government to be burned at the stake. Christians went from being oppressed to oppressing others. By the way, Jesus was considered to be a heretic by the Pharisees and was turned over to the civil government [the Romans] to be crucified.
6. The essential rule of John Calvin as the theocratic ruler of Geneva (the city of God).
Under Calvin, Catholicism was banned as heresy and punishable by death. Adultery, blasphemy, idolatry, and witchcraft were all punishable by death. Calvin had people with different understandings of the scriptures burned at the stake.
7. Under the influence of Ulrich Zwingli the secular government executed the Anabaptists.
8. The murder, by many Muslims, that have others killed in the name of their religion.
9. The hanging of those who were accused of witchcraft in Salem during the "witch hunts."
The list could go on but these are enough. Why do these things happen? It is because of those that wish to ""impose"" their religious beliefs on others. One of the reasons we have Protestant Churches today is because of those European Governments that had a king strong enough to oppose the RCC, and it's influence over governments, at that time.
It seems to me that most people of the world have always made up a religion that would explain their existence and relationship to a god that they think exists. Many come up with religious rules to bind other people under; to control others.
As far back as we can see by archaeology and written history we find that man developed religions. They were made up of what men reasoned in their minds god was/is. Man made god according to his own imagination.
Most made up a religion that required men to do things in order to appease the god they thought they saw. In lands where there are volcanoes they saw an angry god that needed men to do things to satisfy him. This is true of the Egyptians and the Greeks. In a lot of these religions men reasoned that their god required sacrifices of some kind. Some even thought that their god required human sacrifices. Most all used their religions to oppress and foster wars against others.
Jesus was absolutely correct when He said; "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit." If the god of religions require men to persecute and kill others for him, and to impose their religious beliefs on others for him, then that god is "to small" and the hearts of those that worship that god and contemplate killing others is "to small." God does not need men to kill and oppress others for Him. As for me I judge the tree (religions) by the fruit they produce, good or evil.
Scripture:
Micah 6:6-8 -- (NKJ)
6 With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
John 16:2-3 -- (NKJ)
2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.
Acts 7:48-52 -- (NKJ)
48 "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says:
49 "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?'
51 "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him--
Heb 10:5-10 -- (NKJ)
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, 'Here I am-- it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.'"
8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made).
9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Jesus said:
Matt 7:15-20 -- (NKJ)
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
IMPO, The religious tree can not bear good fruit.
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