In Reply to: For hinduism, would this be comparable posted by seeker on March 13, 2003 at 20:43:16:
The thing is too, it's just this type of radicalism that is too scary and too familiar. It was just such radicalism that got us in the mess we were in. Remember, that was a big draw in the early days - we thought we were so "radical" and different which made us somehow better and above the other do-nothing Christians, so we thought. Berg really laid that trip out thick and we lapped it all up, it fed our egos, just like his. We already were disasstisfied and disalussioned with a world we felt was selfish and full of deception. But we were the revolutionaries, the visionaries who were going to do something different and wake up the world to their lethargy and right all the wrongs in the world. Oh, how we oozed in pride and self-righteousness. But back to the point. I see this fanaticism in every religion. Although it is more looked down upon in the west whereas in such religions as the Hindus and even Islam, it's much stronger. Think about India and how they let cows run around in the streets because they think they are somehow holy.
Sometimes I think it's a good thing we separate church from state in the U.S., or we'd run the risk of having Salem witch hunts and Family singers getting into the White House.
In Islam and even in some of these so-called Christian rites you mention, there is a lot of centuries old paganism that is being practiced, where the new religion of christianity sort of blended in rather than taking over. I saw that a lot in Brazil. Think about our own heritage, there is so much paganism in our culture and it comes out in our Christian holidays. Anyway, I don't know what gets into people to get them so hyped up and fanatical.