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Highlands Today

Democracy Not Always The Answer

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By Raleigh Whiteman | Highlands Today

Published: November 8, 2007

It appears to some that the United States government and its leaders are trying to take over the whole Earth with democracy in each and every country and enforce that form of government by force if necessary and ignore the sovereignty of nations.

Religion has and likely will always be the major cause of dissension between governments and countries and individuals. The majority of mankind cannot accept a belief that does not include the probability of a life or existence after death. Achieving that existence is the difference between every religion. Each believes theirs is the only way to get there.

Even now in our country we have just experienced a form of radicalism when a small church exercised its freedom of speech in protesting homosexuality by cheering the deaths of our servicemen.
Our government has a responsibility to stop that form of radicalism within our country or we face the probability of becoming just as confused as Islam.

How Many Gods Are There?

Shiites, Sunnis, Muslims, Jews and Christians and Godfearing (loving) non-Christians, dare I mention Hindus and Buddhists.

Actually there are some 22 major religions of which Christianity is at the top in numbers with 2.1 billion followers. Scientology is number 22 with some 500,000. Islam is second with some 1.3 billion followed by the non-believers or agnostics and atheists with 1.1 billion.

Christianity is at the top because religions professing a belief that Jesus Christ is a savior total more than 37. Nary a one of these 37 churches considers any of the others to be equal or valid. There was a time in our not to distant past when first writers to divide the world into "world religions" were Christians. Originally, three religions were recognized: Christians, Jews and pagans (i.e., everybody else). Hence the Christians invented evangelism and missionaries to spread the "Good Word" and save the pagans from an eternity in Hell. Religious evangelism has become an occupation for many of those who spread the word. For some it's a good way to see the world and get paid.

Missionaries Face Death

Those who go to Iraq or Iran or another Islamic country have a different agenda and put their lives at risk. Converting a Jew is one thing, trying to convert Muslims who have been brought up from childhood studying and believing the Quran, is virtually an impossible mission.
During the 1800s, comparative religion scholars increasingly recognized Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism as the most significant "world religions." Even today, these are considered the "Big Five" and are the religions most likely to be covered in world religion books.

My God Is BetterThan Your God

While Christian churches are not at war with each other they certainly do not agree with each other. Large congregations in churches are sought for the quantity of money that can be collected. It has become the thing to do when worshiping to belong to the biggest church. This must be the right place to go because so many people are following the preachings and teachings of a particular man.

Who cannot recall their elders badmouthing that other religion? It doesn't necessarily come from the pulpit but from everyday talk amongst the congregation often from the Sunday school classes.
Martin Luther started the branching of Christian churches with his protest against the Catholic church. The term "Protestant" was born and there are now literally dozens of branches of Protestant beliefs.

Raleigh Whiteman, of Lake Placid, is a contributing writer to Highlands Today. You can leave him a message at 699-2487. Or you can reach him on the Internet at rwwhiteman@comcast.net

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