Very very sad news.

Given some comments in media (UK and outside) and here few points i would like to highlight.

- Cliche of `terror has no religion`. Well, we all know that but which also should not mean how religion become a fatal weapon for terror. I see various of Muslim touch-point much more like pointing the finger that `see, not only Muslims act terror`. Meanwhile i also see the motivation to check at other side defending `this is self-motivated action, he is ill etc`. None of this give me a clear picture.

- Christian and Muslim rooted countries have a very common difference.

Christian countries passed through fighting independence of individual and shed blood for this. Milestones like Magna Carta, French revolution or many other which simply get over monarchism from government and religion perspective. On top of this, replaced this with an evolving environment which gives priority to individual and human right which was fed by science and education.

Whereas, there is nearly no Muslim country (or a few which has no influence) had similar experience. This stability ended up with a conflict with new-world order which was managed and ruled by above movements.

Thus, Muslim countries can easily consume Jihadi-mindset (which is similar to Crusades period) which end up having millions of people who would not refrain to be part of any terrorist act. (PS here: This ain`t a justification of Islam, i oppose all religious)

This is also root cause of the failure of `so-called democracy` in Iraq or Arab Spring. I remember myself laughing with my ass when Bush and Blair was stating their objective is bringing democracy to Middle-East which ended millions of people`s live and triggered an environment which created various of terrorist groups. Democracy is required by individuals and can be granted if they fight for it, it can not be delivered by any dictations. Removing those dictators without any reliable placement was a suicide. Like it would be suicide if somehow people get over monarchic government or church by replacing nothing meaningful.

And for sure, we can not deny the fact of official terror on Earth which is run by conflicting strategies of official governments. Having no strategy and staying desperate against refugee flooding (which was triggered by so-called democratic Arab Spring) is one sample.

I would not be optimistic to wait nations who has no democratic mindset to be democratic and follow the evolution which West followed. But sounds like i am also becoming pessimistic that whatever is happening (terror, refugees, extremism) nowadays will boost polarization and will end-up self-saving solutions by governments by ignoring mutual concurrence which is supposed to be only regional and / or global solution.

Edited by blackheatheagle (15 Mar 2019 3.05pm)

You can thank the reformation for that.
Without it, Catholicism would be the primary religion like in Spain, Italy, and South America.

This would be a very different country. The modern world has been created by casting off the shackles of religious dogma and employing science.

Don't think it was entirely the reformation but I'm nit picking. Yes generally agree.

No, they don't peddle anything (although some of the more evangelistic churches do get 'out there'), but if you think that Christians just go to church then you couldn't be more wrong!

just a few examples of current activity (and at no cost to the State or local authorities)....

- running day centres for homeless/refugees/old people
- running free English courses for immigrants of all nationalities
-lay chaplains in hospitals and hospices who will sit with the sick and dying who have no-one else to be with them, visit those who have no other visitors
- lay chaplains in prisons trying to assist those who truly want to reform, visiting with those whose family have disowned them or can't get to see them.
- local churches run befriending groups for the lonely and housebound
- supply and run food banks
- organise and provide for hot food runs for the homeless on a nightly basis

....and most if not all of it is done without a fanfare, without preaching and without looking for any reward other than being true to their faith.

.....then these quite nice people go to church Sundays and give thanks for all they have that these people they help don't.

What ideas are these?

Are you suggesting that someone using a set of circumstance as a reason to kill people means that those circumstances are not real?

Loopy logic right there.

Nelson Mandela used Apartied as a reason to be a terrorist. Does that mean that Apartied did not exist?

It's rare these days to want to thank someone for correcting yourself. I agree they are generally more than nice people, they are morally truthful because actions speak so much louder than words.