misguided

Since I raised eyebrows at my support of a vlogger I should better clarify a comment I made regarding "misguided" teaching. While The vlogger in question is undoubtedly atheist, his commentary on science and rationale stands on its own. I encourage rational people to examine the world in which they live and not cling onto the potentially dumbing ideas given to them by a misguided person, however well-intentioned.

If, after much scrutiny, you find that your thinking has validity, great! As long as you examined it for strengths and weaknesses.

By misguided I mean, by example: snake-handling "Christian" worship, abhorring-doctors Christians who would see their family (especially children) die from a readily treatable condition or disease, sect-cults who "believe" it is better to "have your children" to have more children then find flavor-of-the-week father-like figure to raise some.

More traditional or mainstream religions still denounce other denominations as "false" and particular groups as heretics and worthy of persecution. Read up on Martin Luther and you will find Jews were an easy, likely target for a number of reasons. Muslims are a good target (as I have picked on them categorically myself), for the louder/loudest ones are generally amoral, immoral or in other cases extremely dangerous.

This is not true of all Muslims. Communists try to infuse government with religion, replacing party members as deities and that there is no God (Marxism--foundation of Communism), only society and the governing body (facilitating 1984).

How about Scientology, Hare Krishnas, Neo-Nazi (in pre-war WWII Germany, Ayrian aliens and God don't mix, though there were some churches allowed to exist if they recognized Hitler as the supreme being).

I will not pick on Buddhists, for their peace philosophy is great. I will note, however, that very few have the strength to follow the correct principles without being tainted by society or by others. The secluded temples can separate a number of people so that they are more likely to reach enlightenment, but in practice you can't have it all. In China where protesters are killed, enlightenment in a Godless government with militant reaction, is challenging, to say the least. It is, for most, unobtainable.

I think it is equally hard to believe that God wants man to horribly mistreat women, as directed by many Islamic countries. Is this the word of God or the morally corrupt direction of a repressed man, Muhammad. God who lead people to victory, who protected His people, guided His people to His simple principles, God who put forth many prophets and Jesus who directed all persons (especially followers) to love each and be at peace, then directs Muhammad to slaughter infidels. I don't think that is the will of God. I don't think God would command his simple-minded followers to find enemies, meaning you are looking, and slaughter them.

That is Salem witch trials, Rome, Sparta, dark ages Europe, Nazi Europe, Asia's purge of the Jews and other political enemies, Africa's battles for independence, Jamaica's societal wars, Caribbean island wars, Cuba, Spanish Inquisition, and the list goes on.

If your God tells you to kill, read your list carefully, and know that you too are a target then for other groups. Do not be mislead or misguided. Use reason and rationale. Maybe, just maybe, you will find that some parts are not as sensible as you were told they were.

Although the statement earlier was merely an extension of the Evolution-Creation debate, people's reaction speaks more of their thinking than of their dedication to principles. A person doesn't kill or persecute another person or group because God wills it, it is by the person's will only. A person accepts a concept based on merit, reasoning it out.

+ Hare Krishnas, while non-violent, have a "guru" requiring an unreasonable portion of a member's assets, and generally a non-truly theistic philosophy