[ExI] Religions and violence. and EP

[samantha]

Stefano Vaj wrote:
> On 26 July 2010 16:48, Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> I agree with you that Islam is a nasty meme set, at least in its
>> current state.  It's just not exceptional coming out of a stressed
>> society.  Nazism and communism were associated with huge numbers of
>> deaths in the last century, and I am not sure the memes associated
>> with the spasm in Rwanda even had a name.
>>     
>
> All kind of beliefs or value systems may basically serve to organise
> violence, extermination, etc. (including western democracy or buddhism
> or transhumanism, btw). Some degree of organised violence is also
> implied by the very existence of States, law enforcement, military
> apparatuses, etc.
>   

Please explain how a belief that the Non-Agression Principle is the 
basis of any reasonable ethics leads to extermination.  I could an agree 
more about the inherent evil and violence of States as the have a legal 
monopoly on the initiation of force.
> The real issue, IMHO, is that while a "heathen/pagan" may or may not
> really care upon the fact that a bordering culture lives according to
> different values or beliefs, monotheism *requires* conversion or
> destruction of the unfaithful.
No, it doesn't.  Many monotheists could care less if others go straight 
to whatever version of hell or if they do care understand the importance 
of free choice.

>  Irrespective, and in addition, to any
> kind of actual conflict of interests it may help to hide and
> legitimise.
>
> As far as modern, secular ideologies I concerned, it is my impression
> that in most cases they inherit from both traditions, and one can
> easily guess from where they pick their most intolerant traits.
>   

Check out the NAP and voluntarist social models. 

- s

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