Christians..... you are not the saviors of the world.

[Rational Agnostic]

Yeah time for another crusade to go in there and civilize those who can and kill everyone else, yeah? Then they can be part of our culture who exterminates the outliers.

Well, western culture brought an end to human sacrifice in various native tribes as well as the barbaric practice of burning widows alive in India. Of course there are negative aspects of colonialism, but I would argue that some cultures certainly are barbaric and in need of civilizing. I'm not saying that this should be done here, but to argue that western culture/colonization is all bad is clearly erroneous. There are aspects of it that have certainly improved the world.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Well, western culture brought an end to human sacrifice in various native tribes as well as the barbaric practice of burning widows alive in India. Of course there are negative aspects of colonialism, but I would argue that some cultures certainly are barbaric and in need of civilizing. I'm not saying that this should be done here, but to argue that western culture/colonization is all bad is clearly erroneous. There are aspects of it that have certainly improved the world.

Colonializing forces killed those they chose no differently than the 'savages.' (Including execution by burning) They just were in more denial about it.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

Colonializing forces killed those they chose no differently than the 'savages.' (Including execution by burning) They just were in more denial about it.

In some cases, yes. I don't deny that there are negative aspects to colonization. However, the british DID end the practice of burning widows in India. That is a historical fact, and an obvious good of colonization. Also, European colonization led to the end of religion that promotes human sacrifice. That is also a good of colonization. To say colonization is inherently evil is clearly inacurrate.

 

[Father Heathen]

I'm bipartisan when it comes to religion. "0]

You do realize that a large portion of the republican platform is based upon such hocus pocus, right?

 

[Father Heathen]

Maybe they deserve smallpox?

For what? This should be good...

 

[Brickjectivity]

I want to point out the smallpox epidemic of 1887 happened long, long after the population was decimated accidentally by European flu and other common ailments (although these were not purposefully infected.) The military may indeed have used smallpox blankets in 1887. It is a common mistake for people to say that Europeans purposely killed off all the American Indians. This is not true, and they were unfortunately decimated by viruses which were accidentally spread and not thought to be deadly, long, long before 1887.

Greatly weakened populations saw that there was lots of empty space and were occasionally open to settlement and trade. If not for things like the flu and the cold, the Europeans would probably never have penetrated deeply into the continent. Lewis and Clark's expedition would have been much different. Railroads may still have come to the continent, but they would have been controlled by native people. Typical European viruses just totally slaughtered. It must have been like some kind of terrible doom was sweeping the land.

By 1887 the Europeans were already Americans and in control of a lot of territory. They were reeling from the bloody Civil War. Hoards of angry, blooded, soldiers were still trying to calm down. Christianity which had long sustained the peace had failed, and the world cracked.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

In some cases, yes. I don't deny that there are negative aspects to colonization. However, the british DID end the practice of burning widows in India. That is a historical fact, and an obvious good of colonization. Also, European colonization led to the end of religion that promotes human sacrifice. That is also a good of colonization. To say colonization is inherently evil is clearly inacurrate.

He's clearly a serial murderer whose killed lots of innocent people and set up institutions for lifetimes of continual abuse, some of which are the worst kind. But at least he's killed some bad ones too. So it's cool.

 

[Father Heathen]

What kind of sick, demented culture assassinates all people not within their group?

Historically, I think Christianity wins hands down.

 

[Cooky]

Yeah time for another crusade to go in there and civilize those who can and kill everyone else, yeah? Then they can be part of our culture who exterminates the outliers.

Now you see what my poor ancestors had to deal with for centuries.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

He's clearly a serial murderer whose killed lots of innocent people and set up institutions for lifetimes of continual abuse, some of which are the worst kind. But at least he's killed some bad ones too. So it's cool.

I'm referring to when the British changed the law in India to make the practice of burning widows alive against the law. This did not involve killing ANY people. It was an aspect of colonization that SAVED lives.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Now you see what my poor ancestors had to deal with for centuries.

Christian colonialization and genocide of ethnic and cultural groups outside their approval?

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I'm referring to when the British changed the law in India to make the practice of burning widows alive against the law. This did not involve killing ANY people. It was an aspect of colonization that SAVED lives.

You want to talk about how colonializtion killed over 35 million Indian citizens in a woefully tunnelvisioned 'greater good' argument for seizure to power too or are we going to pretend some more?

 

[Rational Agnostic]

You want to talk about how colonializtion killed over 35 million Indian citizens in a woefully tunnelvisioned 'greater good' argument for seizure to power too or are we going to pretend some more?

I already acknowledged the negatives of colonization more than once. Why won't you acknowledge the positives?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Smallpox doesn't exist anymore,....

Actually it does. We have the virus stored in vials in the United States , and Russia has vials of the virus as well. But it doesn't occur naturally, since we were able to put smallpox down.

Givin its a virus , I'm sure it's dormant and inert somewhere waiting to reactivate.

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm referring to when the British changed the law in India to make the practice of burning widows alive against the law. This did not involve killing ANY people. It was an aspect of colonization that SAVED lives.

The history about sati is obscure and debatable. Sure it happened. As to how much and why, that part is debatable. Most likely both sides exaggerate their view. The British banned it in Bengal for sure.

https://www.quora.com/How-widespread-was-the-practice-of-sati

 

[Rational Agnostic]

The history about sati is obscure and debatable. Sure it happened. As to how much and why, that part is debatable. Most likely both sides exaggerate their view. The British banned it in Bengal for sure.

https://www.quora.com/How-widespread-was-the-practice-of-sati

I don't see why @ADigitalArtist won't acknowledge that the British banned the practice and that this was an example of a good result of colonization. Of course there are negative aspects of colonization as I have said many times. However, this is one of several examples of good results that came from colonization. Not everything is black and white.

 

[Twilight Hue]

You do realize that a large portion of the republican platform is based upon such hocus pocus, right?

Well given the demographics of the population is largely Christian, it really isn't all that surprising to see it in politics in general. It's just that Christians gravitate toward the Republicans because it offers more legal protections of which some, I do agree with and some I disagree with.

My main reason for being with the Republicans are not really religious in nature in spite of the affiliation.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I already acknowledged the negatives of colonization more than once. Why won't you acknowledge the positives? I honestly thought you were more rational than this.

Because the positives, such that they are, could have easily occurred without the far greater negatives and it comes out as falsely attributing positives while mostly hand waving the negatives. (Post hoc ergo propter hoc style. Some Christian's use this to say science wouldn't be a thing without christianity.) Negatives which far exceeded the positives even assuming they're properly attributed.

If you follow my posts for any length of time you'll see I'm consistantly against the idea of world policing. We are **** at it. We generally make things worse and abuse our authority with unearned claims of moral supremacy.

 

[Vinayaka]

I don't see why @ADigitalArtist won't acknowledge that the British banned the practice and that this was an example of a good result of colonization. Of course there are negative aspects of colonization as I have said many times. However, this is one of several examples of good results that came from colonization. Not everything is black and white.

I view the negatives as far outweighing the positives. But that was then, this is now. Whether or not mankind has learned anything from its historical successes and failures is the key. Will there be a few more Christians heading off to the Andamans to preach? Maybe. maybe not.

 

[Twilight Hue]

If you follow my posts for any length of time you'll see I'm consistantly against the idea of world policing. We are **** at it. We generally make things worse and abuse our authority with unearned claims of moral supremacy.

I think taking courses of actions that are on the offensive creates more problems than it solves. I agree with that.

As far as I can tell , we as a country never did things like that in the past until the recent few generations post World War II.

A long time ago we would only intervene when a request was put out for our help. The new trend for offensive interaction or as I consider it "stopping a problem before it gets worse", so far has proved to be more problematic than beneficial.

Same thing for Christianity in terms of proactive proselytizing that can be regarded as being religion set on the offensive. It creates many more problems then it ought to.

I still can't help but think if the damage has already been done. I guess we will know once we determine whether the Sentinelese people are going to get chronically sick or not.

Either way whether in politics or religion, philosophies favouring offensive actions needs to be seriously examined and corrected.