On Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:43:12 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D'Oliveiro
<
ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
To those who wait for this specific time of year to fantasize about a
totally European-looking man, not Semitic-looking at all, being
subject to a most peculiar sort of ritual torture and execution ...
... go ahead and have a good time. Who am I to judge.
Indeed, but we are getting better at being tolerant of different
views. I suspect even those that produced most images of religious
figures or iconography thought that they had necessarily captured a
particular likeness to any religious figure from centuries before -
but some images probably do fit your conceptions, Lawrence.
Of more interest are the principles and beliefs the religions intended
to convey. at a time when there are probably a majority of New
Zealanders who effectively have no religious beliefs, we still have
laws that are largely based on those principles, and we still assess
proposed laws based on ethical principles that have been passed
through generations. Would for example those inducing those fantasies
all through those centuries have looked kindly on people that allow
others to die from an avoidable disease by encouraging smoking that we
know will achieve that result, purely to bring more money to their
temple?
Religion was at its worst seeking to eliminate those with other
beliefs - but it is hard to separate out such madness from wars waged
by descendents of those so persecuted over essentially property rights
. . .
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