Kev2012
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Article: The Greatest Dictator.
The Greatest Dictator.
Dictate, that’s something Saddam Hussein done, or Adolph Hitler, Augusto Pinochet. Figures of our history who are responsible for countless human rights violations. They dictated, told people how to live their lives, what to believe. They used their power, and violence, to segregate and persecute people. So when asked “the greatest dictator?” you would say? To me the answer will probably be controversial, because even the most hated and evil figures of mankind are overshadowed. One thing has dictated to mankind for generations, dictated to the dictators. Thus my question is answered, religion is the greatest dictator of them all.
Now I need to justify such a strong allegation. So I’ll highlight just a few examples from history. During the Medieval era, an era in all honesty that humankind should not be proud of, we had The Crusades. In essence The Crusades were the Roman Catholic Holy Wars, a response to the Seljuk Turks taking over Jerusalem. A series of military conquests that targeted not only Muslims, who were labelled the enemy, but fellow branches of the Christian faith. The innocent Gnostic Christian faith of Cathars were all but wiped-out in the 13th century by the Albigensian Crusade. Wiped out because their religious beliefs contradicted some of the Bibles teachings. A crusade ordered by the Catholic Church and sanctioned by Pope Innocent III himself, the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Holy Wars, today the term seems entirely contradictive. Crusades carried out by followers of Christianity and sanctioned by the Papacy.
Obviously it’s not Christianity alone that has a dark history. Many other religions and religious beings do. Muhammad (the figure who has caused a recent spate of violence in the name of religion) himself personally fought many wars to defend and expand his religion, Islam. The Koran, although a hazy text, is clear on one thing, the slaying of Infidels. The question can become "who are the infidels?" According to the Islamic teachings Muslim’s will immediately say: ”The infidels are those who are not Muslims and do not believe in the Koran.” As clear as day. Christians, Buddhists, Jews and all those who don't believe in Islam are infidels and violence towards them is ordered by the teachings of Islam. Again history has many examples of Islam using violence to deliver its message.
A dark history of murder, torment and pain ordered by histories most revered dictator, religion.
Despite this though, you will surely be confused by what comes next. If I were to inverse the question to find the greatest leader of all time. I would not say Ho Chi Minh, Winston Churchill or Nelson Mandela. To me the answer would be the same, religion. No one man has, or ever will, do more good than religion has. Christianity opens its churches to those without homes; no matter what faith, they can rest their heads in God’s house. Catholic Churches have sprouted up all over the world, their aim to house orphans of all faiths and all social backgrounds. Cambodia to Canada, Poland to Peru. Millions of people give their time to help others in the name of religion. The notion has been installed in mankind by religion that you should not kill, steal or lie, that you should value truth and be kind to strangers, widows, and fatherless children. Islam is the true religion of Allah, and his teachings say 'Cheerfulness towards other people, even a smile is a sadaqah or charity to be rewarded by Allah'. Not long ago the entire plethora of faiths combined to help the victims of the Tsunami, regardless of their beliefs they wanted to help their fellow man. Religion, this universal leader inspired mankind to help, for millennium it has led mankind on a straight and narrow path of decency and integrity. It has taught us right from wrong, enthused dignity, oozed compassion and caring.
Religion constantly gets a bad deal, yes it has a dark history, but that is put into perspective by the good it does. At times it’s vessels don’t do the religion justice when, for example, they condone other peoples views, or books, movies or articles as “blasphemous”. And there the question becomes answered, never is religion to blame. It is the people who do bad acts under the name of religion, and that is not religions fault, that is the fault of misguided sheep and misinterpreted readings.
I started by implying religion is a dictator, then I shifted to its glorious leadership, I’ll finish by saying what differs one from the other? To be a good leader at times you have to dictate, lead people on the straight and narrow. The difference between a dictator and a leader is the goals and aims. The goals of Saddam were to suppress, the goals of Mandela were freedom, equality. So what is the goal of religion? Well that is simple; to help man, guide him. Keep him on the straight and narrow. At times it might appear like religion suppresses, but that is not true. Through history a minority of powerful men have tainted religion with their own personal goals of power. But religion was never responsible for these heinous acts, it was man astray. To me religion is what keeps man united, especially in the modern world. We must work hard to stay united, whatever religion you follow, or we will implode. If we lose religion the road to our Armageddon will be swift and painful.
Copyright of Kevin Dean Martin - 2006
Post Edited By Kev2012, Apr/13/2007, 1:19 pm
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Jun/19/2006, 6:23 am
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