What's all this about?

[Jock Scot]

I too am wary of this particular website and whilst I have absolutely no religious feelings whatsoever, the one thing I do know is that there is nothing, absloutely nothing romantic in having blood on the street, screams of the wounded and cries of anguish from the loved ones of the afflicted. All dramatic stuff I grant you and I admit that I may have misunderstood what the website is all about, but I detect undertones that need to be left alone------well alone.

[MacRobert's Reply]

I know nothing about the group referred to but, IMHO, learning from the past, especially the mistakes of the past, is very helpful and may forewarn us not to repeat them. Reenacting the past is great entertainment and can also be helpful in understanding the past through experience. Living in the past is an escapist delusion and the 'past' being inhabited is usually as much myth as it is history. Rehearsing the perceived injustices and other wrongs of history can so often lead to a less tolerant and inclusive society in the present.

On the church and state issue, Jesus made a clear distinction between God and Caesar (as did his apostles Peter and Paul), St Augustine of Hypo repeated that distinction in his City of God, and Martin Luther reminded Christians again of the need to distinguish clearly between church and state. History strongly suggests that when this distinction is lost, religion is transformed by the state and its opponents into ideologies to justify conflict. How different from the message of Jesus with its emphasis on love, forgiveness and reconciliation.