Theos-Talk Archives (August 2004 Message tt00692)

Andrew Smith wrote:
> > > > 	No. What's your point?
> > > Bart, I was similarly abused in a Protestant church when a boy, 
> and this kind of thing just makes me rage! I finally lost all faith 
> in institutional religion and religion generally. Does "terror in 
> the name of God" only have to be by al-Queda militants???
> > 	Did any of the people who abused you believe that they were doing so 
> because that is what God wanted them to do?
>
> Bart, Does that make any goddamn difference?!? The psychological 
> effect is the same, unfortunately.
Of course there's a difference. If the religion teaches abuse, then the 
religion itself is bad. If it is an individual acting against the 
religion, then it is absurd to blame the religion. When the abusive 
individual is acting in the name of the religion, then it is reasonable 
to blame the religion.

Bart