Re: Religions and their followers
lets see what went on with ‘secular’ conflicts over last 100 years…
world war 1: 16 million dead
world war 2: 60 million dead
Korean war: 3 million dead
Vietnam war: 2 million dead
and countless more. Deaths and destruction by religious conflicts over that period is a small fraction of the above.
The examples you have quoted are a mere fraction of the total violence took place during those times as well. Interestingly, no one likes to talk about genocide of indigenous populations of North and South America which were virtually wiped out by European settlers. Spanish inquisition, all and well, but what about over 10 million Africans killed as a direct result of slave trade during that time (number does not include other genocides in the continent)?
More humane and accommodating? Really?
It is just that religion has been at times used as a tool to oppress, kill and hate others doesn’t mean there is something inherently wrong with it. Just like science is used to make weapons as well as medicine. Should scientists be given a bad name just because some of them do evil things with their knowledge?