17 Nov 2015 2:03 PM:

Woodbug 16 Nov 2015 15:08

"It's not about religion, race or class - its about controlling a party of psychotic murderers who want to die" If that's what you think, then fine, but you need to look at the history of Islam.  Of course it's about religion. It's a spiritual war, one that cannot be defeated by weapons alone. ISIS's warped view of their religion, Islam, is one that they are merely acting out what they think the rest of the world should adhere to in the 21st century. Islam is a submissive religion, namely we must submit to it either willingly or by the sword.  The West has slowly jettisoned God from its culture, since the 2nd world war. I'm coming to the opinion that ISIS is God's wake up call to the West. They're not afraid to die because they truly believe having killed some "infidels" they'll be greeted at the pearly gates by 77 virgins. How many people in the West are truly Christian? How many know their bible or the message of Christ? Christianity teaches that you can change the world by giving up power. Islam teaches that by taking power you can change the world.

Thread: Paris

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07 Jul 2015 7:06 PM:

The Bosnian genocide, like all genocides, was horrific. Religion was mixed up with it, along with a good dose of nationalism.  It became useful to blame everything on religion, just like northern Ireland.

One might blame religion on the Spanish Civil war.  After all, Franco was convinced God was on his side as a Catholic.  And to its shame, the Catholic church had blood on its hands too.

Thread: IF WE COULD JUST FIGURE OUT WHO'S CAUSING THE PROBLEM?? >

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07 Jul 2015 7:00 PM:

Oh, I see.  Hitler was a Christian.  Well that solves it then, doesn't it.

So he got his revenge on the Jews because they killed Christ. Ah yes, it all fits.

Thread: IF WE COULD JUST FIGURE OUT WHO'S CAUSING THE PROBLEM?? >

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07 Jul 2015 5:06 PM:

A lot of people replying to this thread will state in one way or another "religion is the cause of most wars".

Very simplistic and easy to state without facts.  I suggest that you are mixing up "religion" with Christ's message of love, especially to one's enemies.  Somewhere, Christianity has got hijacked.

When did Christianity retaliate in recent years?   

The crusades or burning heretics are two cases usually quoted.  Ask yourselves when that happened.

There is more evidence to state that non-religious/atheist 'empires' have slaughtered more people:

Ghengis Khan

Tamerlane

Hitler

Stalin

Pol Pot

to name a few. 

Focus on Christ's message instead of "religion".  Read the Gospels, any of them. 

 

 

Thread: IF WE COULD JUST FIGURE OUT WHO'S CAUSING THE PROBLEM?? >

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18 Apr 2015 2:53 PM:

I write from the Basque country, because it's not usually represented in 'ex-pat forums'.  I look at expat websites from time to time and see that most comments are from long term 'residents' who now and then like to think they've got all the answers, though their comments are often helpful.

I was recently in Calpe for 5 days with our local 'club alpino' (mountaineering club) where we did some serious mountain walks/climbs, up to 1600m (none of which involved anything extraordianry other than the will to get to the top).

Marvellous.  I took a day off in Benidorm, Easter Sunday, to have an English breakfast (rare in my part of the world), Sunday mass at 11.30, a sangria for the 1st time,  2 hours on the beach to read an English newspaper.  A day well spent. Even met people from my village here in the "calle de cogño" as they call it, because there are Basque bars serving 'pintxos' (tapas down south) and if you meet up with someone you recognise you say (in Spanish) "cogño, que estas haciendo aqui?"

It confirmed my suspicions.  Let those who only want costa life enjoy it; fine, but personally not for me.  There's much more to see and do up north, here in Euskadi/Euskal Herria/ Basque country as well as other parts of Spain.  The only thing we haven't got here is 300 days guaranteed sunshine, but then is it so advantageous?  We have water for the allotment and green mountainsides with shade to walk all year round. At least when I enter a shop here, they don't talk English to you.  And we're not surrounded by bars advertising English soccer matches.

So, those who don't yet know other parts of Spain, get out a bit more.  It's a rich country.

 

 

Thread: Things That I Like And Dislike About Spain

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