The most effective way of making a religion 'valid' or 'respected' is to start a holy war?
962747
Because they want to rule with fear. They appel to the weakness in people who are scared of making their own decisions and therefore prefer to follow orders. But I guess this is only one of many reasons. I myself don't follow any dogmatic religion, but like to find out more about them.
189321
When religions lack credibility, they use force to maintain their structure.  It is the same with many cults.\n\nIf a religion had credibility, it wouldn't be threatened by defectors or nonconformists.  A person's faith is between himself and God.  It is God's business so God should tend to it.  But if your religion lacks any credible god, you have to tend to it yourself, don't you?
710888
Christians and Muslims can turn against secularism provided that there exists a leadership coalition that sincerely believes in Peace and Coexistence and Respect and the abandonment of selfish ulterior motives such as subjugation for the cause of Greed, Covetousness and the spread of falsehood in order to control the depleting resources of the world. Hatred is merely an instrument to accomplish all these insidious goals.\n\n And for this you need a strong, morally upright and guided leadership that is willing to forgo the self, wealth and comfort and the pursuit of hedonistic thrills. Anybody out there fits the bill?
731489
if it's a religion it will have politics.\nyou need to concentrate on your faith. every christian faith is focused on love and compassion of Jesus. it is the religions that are built around the faiths that create all the dissonance.\n\nJesus would never have comanded the crusades of the middle ages. \n\nJesus would never have ordered a golden chalace to drink from. \n\nJesus would never have asked for a cathedral to be built in his honour in fact he would probably condem it. \n\nJesus would never have profited from his teachings.\n\nBut there are thousands of church's around the planet with golden candlesticks and huge expensive stained glass windows.\n\nOur faith would be so much stronger if we gathered for prayer in a park or by a river or on a mountain enveloped by Gods grace and beauty.
607535
I'm a Muslim and we are thought to treat the other religions and their followers with respect. I would suggest you to try to do the same thing.
1107591
Yes if anyone tries to sell you religion just tell them this:\n\n Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods.  In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully.  If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock.  Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it.  Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God.  That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt.  Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction.  Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you.  He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors.  "The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him."  (Deuteronomy 13:13-19 NLT)
689283
I agree with you, and Rain, Psychology, A. Mann, tls.bhaskar, milo, azmurath, Sue Namie, babyarnie, and d_waddell2001. Religion is a system of understanding, so the religion itself, being a belief or pattern of thoughts, is not the act of violence or war (effect), but does prompt it and promote it indirectly (cause), while preaching exactly the opposite (defence). Many (others who have answered) have come to trust religion because of the good things it promotes, like purpose, goodwill, communication with spirit, respect for other belivers (sometimes), and feelings of belonging, among others.\nWhen a person trusts another person over their own feelings and intuition, they become a slave to be controlled. There are millions of people around the world who exist as robots to be ordered by the people in their lives. The boss, priest, trainer, teacher, commanding officer, whoever. These slaves are the ones who fight wars, even the ones at salvation army.\nWhat is advised is a detachment from organised religion, and to establish a relationship with self, life, love and nature. By feeling your personal interpretation of what matters, and, the most important thing, to keep the most important things the most important things, one can carve their groove in history exactly the way they choose. Total responsibility, total spiritual freedom. By standing up and saying "I made that mistake, and I'm damn proud of it because I've learnt from the experience," a person's character gains courage, humility and wisdom, just to name a few. By choosing to allow blame, guilt, fear, and hate to fill one's thoughtful life, one commits to living with stress, health problems, depression, detachment from self, immature and irresposible behaviour like terrorism, and extreme anxiety. Ever noticed how dedicated religious followers are, even though they may have only joined weeks ago? Thats an observable symptom. All external success begins with internal success, so peace must be made within first, followed by those around you (your world). When critical mass is reached, your world will become our world. If you do not go within you go without!!!
884333
Return to the fundamentals of the religion !\nSave the faithful and the religion from the terrorists !\nDown with the terrorists !
111029
I think that the more church is separated from the state, the better. There are maters of religion, and matters of the phisical world. \nPhisical world should be sorted out by pure reason. \nReligion can not be (please anote that I don't mean that religion is something wrong or stupid - merely, that many things in religious matters are a matter of faith).\n\nOf course, religion always does influence the local culture, and that can't be avoided. \n\nIn the case of Iraq, I think it would be a good idea to separate the worldly and religious matters. As Julius Caesar once said, "What belongs to God, give to God. What belongs to Emperor, give to Emperor". \nHowever, taking into consideration the way Islam covers both mundane and religious issues (I'm not a Muslim, nor an expert on the topic, but got interest in the subject to claim that I have an idea of what I'm talking about :)), it would be very, very hard to divide those two matters. Not something that can be done quickly.\n\nNevertheless, I think it would be a good goal to go for.
721776
Get the religions to agree. All the problems would then be solved.But who is right?\nThere is no ideal president. Democracy makes no allowance for idealism.Take care my friend. take a look at http://thebaldchemist.blogspot.com for some fun insight into life.
588606
Yep, wars. That's pretty much what religion has been causing for thousands of years. They can't get enough of them.
576984
It is easier to send a man into battle if he feels God is on his side and will resurrect him.  The terriorists believe 70 virgins awaited them in heaven.\nTell, a man this life is all there is!  Would he be willing to sacrifice his moment in the sun for something you told him you felt strongly about.  Tell him god will reward him and off he goes.  So yes, Governments use religion to get people to fight in wars.  Always has, always will.  Why because it works.
564487
I say get religion out of ALL government paid positions.\nNo Priest opening sessions of congress\nNo Clergy in the military ranks\nA secular country that has in it's constitution a ban on state sponsored religion should spend NO taxpayer money on religious personnel.\nReligion in a secular country should play no part in politics. Though out history there have been innumerable gods/goddesses and deities of every flavor, who's to say what one is correct. Even if you take the modern religions which way is the proper way to worship your chosen deity, the countless sects of christianity that follow jesus instead of god or, the multiple forms of judaism in following the word of god, or the various teaching of muhammad in the following of allah. Religion has no business in politics, society can do a fine job of directing the morals of itself and the policies and politics of itself.
912836
Freedom of religion - Do what you want to do as far as it doesn't violate any laws (murder, theft, polygamy, etc), Economic- Free Market with the fewest government interferences as possible (barring a reasonable minimum wage and anti-monopoly actions), Social - Provide for those that ABSOLUTELY need it, and when they get up, drop the support to force them to make it on their own.  Foreign Policy - Leave others alone, trade, form alliances (economic), but if you mess with the US, we pound your face in.  No more of this "we can't bomb them because they are in a mosque (or church, just to be fair)" crap.
351771
Be a political party or start a religion
249717
Ban religion would be the first step!
982863
Then the Alliance is wrong.  Peace will never be achieved through the persecution and segregation of other people and religions.  It can never happen as their will always exist animosity and anger this way and the constant and continued efforts of the segregated to revolt against those measures.  All Religions and beliefs must be accepted as legitimate and acceptable.  Religion is not based on which is best it is based on believing in God.  That is it's function and purpose.  When any Religion resorts to aggressive measures, war, segregation. oppression, and or persecution then it has moved itself from the purpose and desires God had intended it to focus on and gone to Evil and wrong doing.   It says " Any person that professes to love God and hates his Brother is a liar. "  It is written in the book of God.  There is no best religion in Gods eyes as it written he has fault with all of them to some extent and in some way.  \nThe best question to ask an angry person is " What do you want " the next is " How can we work together peacefully to achieve a resolution that is acceptable to both of us ?." The third thing is to work towards that objective.   You can build the biggest wall in the world to keep people out in hopes of evading someone but eventually always find a way to tear it down.  So that Idea isn't going to work only coming to the table , discussing an acceptable resolution and working together to achieve it honestly is the answer and the only answer.