Suny, if you don't think that religious history is important, then you've missed the whole point of the Pope's discussion! Really, I can't believe that you think we live with the memory spans of goldfish, and that people who really, really BELIEVE in everything they've been taught, through thousands of hours of rote learning (I'm talking mostly about Muslim scholars, but it applies just as much to Christian leaders, priests and monks) don't regard the historical content of their religions as informing their actions today. The purpose of religion was to set out the values and rules by which society should live - you may as well throw those out as well as the history of religious strife, since they're all ancient.
The Pope was discussing the issue of holy war, and quoted an ancient text. What would you have him do, throw away all of the Vatican's vast library, and expunge the history you don't care for? Why don't we go all out, throw out the Turin Shroud, burn the Dead Sea Scrolls, smash all the cathedrals and churches, build a nice supermarket over the Dome of the Rock? Then we'll be free of the reminders of religious history, which, according to you, is not important when considering Islam's reactions to both real and imagined insults.
Like Warbler and Brian, I have no personal interest in adhering to a religion, and I DO believe that among them all, most have indeed managed to bring war, death, destruction and immense suffering to millions of people worldwide. I don't care that they did it in the name of their god or gods. What I do know is that there is a huge back catalogue of religion sanctioning the destruction of native beliefs, tribal kingdoms and ancient civilizations. Hardly something that's 'not important'! Not a lot to be proud of, in my book, which is contrary to the firm belief of those doing the destroying that they were/are only doing it for the good of mankind and his everlasting soul. Oh, and a bit of gold, rubber, and a few diamonds along the way - for the king, queen, or the greater glory of God, of course, so that's okay.
If you are determined to ignore history because it doesn't suit you to think about it, then you live in danger of never learning from it, and letting it repeat itself ad nauseum.
Mind you, we've done a piss-poor job of learning from any history, religious or otherwise, so far.
The Pope was discussing the issue of holy war, and quoted an ancient text. What would you have him do, throw away all of the Vatican's vast library, and expunge the history you don't care for? Why don't we go all out, throw out the Turin Shroud, burn the Dead Sea Scrolls, smash all the cathedrals and churches, build a nice supermarket over the Dome of the Rock? Then we'll be free of the reminders of religious history, which, according to you, is not important when considering Islam's reactions to both real and imagined insults.
Like Warbler and Brian, I have no personal interest in adhering to a religion, and I DO believe that among them all, most have indeed managed to bring war, death, destruction and immense suffering to millions of people worldwide. I don't care that they did it in the name of their god or gods. What I do know is that there is a huge back catalogue of religion sanctioning the destruction of native beliefs, tribal kingdoms and ancient civilizations. Hardly something that's 'not important'! Not a lot to be proud of, in my book, which is contrary to the firm belief of those doing the destroying that they were/are only doing it for the good of mankind and his everlasting soul. Oh, and a bit of gold, rubber, and a few diamonds along the way - for the king, queen, or the greater glory of God, of course, so that's okay.
If you are determined to ignore history because it doesn't suit you to think about it, then you live in danger of never learning from it, and letting it repeat itself ad nauseum.
Mind you, we've done a piss-poor job of learning from any history, religious or otherwise, so far.
