Why, oh why?
 

After slogging through all the posts on the "Violence Problem" thread, I got to wondering what it is about human psychology that demands that people expect everyone else to believe as they do, to the point of killing each other over matters of faith.

It seems to me that if I were a fundamentalist Christian (or Muslim), I would be happy that I found THE TRUE FAITH, and that if I did everything THE TRUE FAITH demanded of me, I could be assured of eternal bliss in paradise. Seeing as how TRUE FAITH's have about billion rules for adherents to follow, I'd be pretty busy worrying about not accidentally eating a piece of pork or spilling my seed on the ground (if I was a guy). If I was a compassionate person, I'd feel sorry for all those people who weren't members of THE TRUE FAITH and were going to hell. I might even become a missionary to try to spread the word to the poor fools otherwise destined for the flames.

But when all was said and done, I'd probably just be concerned with my own little life. Who cares if the people in the next valley are Buddhists or something? They'll be getting theirs eventually. Why is it SO important that they believe as I do? I really don't get this. :confused:

The vast majority are just concerned with their own lives. It's only the "angry young men" with an axe to grind that are out for blood. They just want a convenient reason to come after you -- membership in the wrong club is as good a reason as any...
I think we need to encourage more football rivalries. Seems like fewer people die. :p

When someone's beliefs are questioned, it likely causes some doubt. This person believes that his/her supreme being will protect them on earth and allow them to have a "good" afterlife. If the doubt makes them think that they will NOT be protected, and will NOT have a "good" afterlife, they become afraid, among other things. Fear causes them to strike out. The leaders know that if their followers have doubt, they may no longer be followers. This reduces the power of the leaders. So the leaders pre-emptively strike those who do not follow their "way", reducing the doubt/fear/threat to power. Possibly.

Well, that's an interesting analysis, Spexx. Sort of like the whole Jungian "shadow" concept. We project onto others what we find too awful to see in ourselves, so if we have our doubts, that would make us vile unbelievers who are going straight to hell, and we project that feeling onto others.

But then again, look at stuff like the Children's Crusade. I don't think those little kids were mature enough to be in such a mindset, but 6 and 7 year olds still set off to kill infidels. Why on earth?????

Nah, you don't have to mature to want to kill people. As long as it's Us vs. Them...

Kids do what their parents tell them to do, right? If I had a nickel for every time I've heard "Johnny, go kill the heathens"...

Unless it was "Johnny, go pluck the heather" written very illegibly on a notepad.:p

Maybe, when at the time people rarely lived much past 40, and it took 5 or more years to get there, sending children would seem like a logical tactic.

Well, as logical as the crusade to begin with. :eyebrow: