I wasn't defending religion, I was pointing out that to claim that "religion" killed so many people ignores the fact that religions are simply organizations of people, not inherently different than a political organization.

Anyway, you could just as well say that economics has killed more people than Hitler ever did. I might more accurately say that disease has killed more people than Hitler ever did. I don't know how that is relevent, but it is certainly true over the course of humanity. Hitler was only in power for a few years. He might have given religion a run for its money, given the chance.

Hitler is responsible for the actions of his military and police. That is part of the job as head of state. The captain of a ship is responsible for what happens onboard his vessel. The board of directors of a company is responsible for the actions taken in the company's name, regardless of their complicity. Just because Hitler didn't actually pull the trigger a thousand times over doesn't mean he is not responsible for the actions taken under his leadership.

 

First off, sorry for mistakenly stating that you were defending religion. Wrong choice of words on my part and I did understand the intent of your post.

As for Hitler being responsible for the actions of his military and police and captains being responsible for their ships, I understand that and agree. That said, however, isn't it true that individuals have the right...and RESPONSIBILITY...to manage their own actions. Hitler may have given the orders, but the individuals made the choices. Same with holy wars or labor strikes or whatever...we all fall back on some organization and say "they made me do it" when the reality is that everything is an individual act.

That said, you can either say that religion killed so many people and Hitler killed so many people or you can say INDIVIDUALS under the leadership of Hitler killed so many people just as INDIVIDUALS under the guidance of religious organizations did so much killing.

You can't have your cake and eat it too...

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jrfblueeyes

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tenblade2001

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by no really
Blaming religion is like saying a dog is vicious because it's mostly black and brown.

 

 

This is exactly the point I was going to raise as well ......

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tokyo_james

 

I think you can have your cake and eat it, too, in this case. You can prosecute the general for commanding his soldiers to commit war crimes, and you can prosecute the officers under him for obeying orders that were clearly illegal.

Religion has been a driving force behind society for thousands of years. So has gold, trade, and greed. Each of which could share the blame for many known and unknown travesties. But gold, trade, and greed don't have soup kitchens or orphanages, as far as I know. Many people turn to their church when they need a helping hand, and unlike governments and political parties, religions generally don't bitch and moan when it comes to helping people.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by alexf20c