Hi BenB
This will be a bit of a ramble, rather than a reasoned argument partly due to the breadth of the underlying subject,
so apologies for that.
If you put the issue as general humanity versus religious (or other) power-tripping zealots, it is easier to get a longer timeframe & a bit more confidence in the tendency, so far, for good to triumph over evil.
Go back to the 1578 "Council of Trent" for example: I vaguely recall reading that a resolution along the lines that all
unbelievers and heretics who refuse to repent and submit to the authority of the Roman church (claiming to be the
"catholic" or all embracing faith) should be put to the stake. Sound familiar? Never been rescinded, by the way.
Read the history of the Cathars & others who disagreed with this approach if you don't believe me.
Present day Catholics would be appalled by such a doctrine.
Last century we had the nazis with the aryan BS,
and the communists
and other "ists".
Time, losing wars & the good work of patient, reasoned & brave people with the best of human nature has gotten us
to where this approach is no longer taken so often. Lets hope we can avoid the need for time and some wars this time.
NOBODY likes having their kids hijacked by murderous thugs prepared to waste their lives to advance the thugs'
nasty objectives.
Unfortunately history shows it is pretty easy to rev up someone already brought up thinking war can resolve things.
My own history included, though I haven't been in a war.
Obviously Islamic state & their ilk won't just go away by negotiation, but we could educate our kids to question &
therefore be resistant to such trash in the future.
I say we all need to cool off and have a serious discussion among our communities!
