Reply to: Why are Christians in Iraq?

[NotAllThere]

Why don't they just become muslims, or maybe just say that they're becoming muslims? Much less hassle than fleeing in terror, and it's all much the same at the end of the day.

If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic most of the time.

First of all, there's more to religion than simply lip service. It is deeply part of their culture and sense of identity. The culture ISIS wishes to impose on them is alien.

Secondly, assuming they convert (or pretend to convert), do you really think that the ISIS fanatics are going to leave it like that? They'll be watched, closely. Far more closely than those from a Muslim background. If they deviate, they'll be killed. If they should ever decide to convert back (or there's any suspicion that they have). they'll be killed. Would you want to live day to day with that risk (while denying the identity and culture you were brought up with)?

No-one lightly leaves their home - so presumably they've decided it simply isn't worth the risk.

The same would go for many atheists and people of other religions.

[mudskipper]

Who said He didn't want us to? The majority of vegetarians I know are objecting to the farming methods and commercialisation rather than claiming that eating animals is fundamentally wrong.

Depends which god(s) you're following.

[d000hg]

Never understood that, if god had not wanted us to eat animals then why did he make them so darn tasty

Who said He didn't want us to? The majority of vegetarians I know are objecting to the farming methods and commercialisation rather than claiming that eating animals is fundamentally wrong.

[xoggoth]

There are, or were, sensible reasons behind a lot of religious beliefs. Historically, they may have been a means of enforcing a workable society. The problems of alcohol, irresponsible promiscuity, dishonesty, violence etc. are obvious. Even a ban on eating pork made sense when they transmitted disease. (Hardly surprising as they were used once to dispose of human faeces!) In a much more violent and poorer world, a subordinate status for women and extreme punishments for crime probably made sense too.

The problem with religion is that, when sound practices are represented as the word or god, they can no longer be challenged even when they no longer make any sense or are unsuited to modern life. We get stuck in the 1st/8th/whatever century and cannot progress.

Research, experience and statistics tell us what works. We know what makes us unhappy and consequently what we need to do to make a better society. Values can be instilled into children with proper education, they do not need enforcement with irrational claptrap.

[Pondlife]

And not having to wear burkas, and not having to fast during Ramadan, and not having more than one mother-in-law.

But apart from that, what have the Romans ever done for us?

[NotAllThere]

Bacon.

And alcohol.

And not having to wear burkas, and not having to fast during Ramadan, and not having more than one mother-in-law.

Some Christians don't eat bacon or drink alcohol e.g. 7th Day Adventists

But not this particular bunch of Christians.

[Pondlife]

Bacon, other pig flesh and shell fish can give you food poisoning so in the era before fridges it was safer not to eat them.

Drinking alcohol can make you irresponsible. There was a Temperance movement in the UK and there are areas like Port Sunlight and Bournville with no pubs......

So Christians in Iraq would be fine if they are ones who don't like enjoying themselves....

Except for the Cadbury club and the working men's club (if it's still there)

No take-aways though.

[SueEllen]

Never understood that, if god had not wanted us to eat animals then why did he make them so darn tasty

Bacon, other pig flesh and shell fish can give you food poisoning so in the era before fridges it was safer not to eat them.

Drinking alcohol can make you irresponsible. There was a Temperance movement in the UK and there are areas like Port Sunlight and Bournville with no pubs......

So Christians in Iraq would be fine if they are ones who don't like enjoying themselves....

[kal]

And vegetarian methodists.

Never understood that, if god had not wanted us to eat animals then why did he make them so darn tasty

[d000hg]

Some Christians don't eat bacon or drink alcohol e.g. 7th Day Adventists

And vegetarian methodists.

[kal]

Some Christians don't eat bacon or drink alcohol e.g. 7th Day Adventists

That made me chuckle, because it made me remember this Seventh Day Advent Hoppists - Red Dwarf Wiki - Tongue Tied

[SueEllen]

And alcohol.

Some Christians don't eat bacon or drink alcohol e.g. 7th Day Adventists

[Doggy Styles]

Better the devil you know

Indeed, but try telling Tony Blair that! He blames our failure to invade Syria.

[oscarose]

Under Saddam Hussein the Iraqi government was secular. It had a majority of muslim people, but wasn't run as a theocracy (unlike Iran for example). ISIS want to change this.

Better the devil you know

[Doggy Styles]

Islamic State pulls down church crosses in northern Iraq as 200,000 flee - Telegraph

Its a muslim country - what do they expect?

Under Saddam Hussein the Iraqi government was secular. It had a majority of muslim people, but wasn't run as a theocracy (unlike Iran for example). ISIS want to change this.