What danger is created when religion is taken to the extreme. Recently in America Lori Vallow was convicted of the murder of her two children, daughter Tylee (16), and adopted son Joshua (7). Vallow was also found guilty of murdering her husbands ex-wife. Vallow's husband, Chad Daybell is awaiting trial on similar charges. The couple are thought to have met through their involvement in a religious cult movement that promoted preparing for the end of the world. Chad Daybell was an author of fictional books which focused on the apocalypse, and were loosely drawn from the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). In their extreme minds of biblical beliefs the couple thought people were of two spirits, the "light" and the "dark" spirits, and further believed that those of the "dark", that their souls could only be saved by killing them, Lori Vallow applied her religious beliefs to her two children, resulting in their murders, she is non repentant, and believes she was carrying out the will of God. The question is how dangerous is religious beliefs when taken to the extreme? How entrenched is religious extremism, Christian and other in Australia, just waiting to do a Lori Vallow's on all those non believers?

Dear Paul1405,

Religion is dangerous even when it is not taken to the extreme. The words of Martin Luther, founder of a large branch of Christianity wrote "On the Jews and their Lies".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Jews_and_Their_Lies

"In the treatise, he argues that Jewish synagogues and schools be set on fire, their prayer books destroyed, rabbis forbidden to preach, homes burned, and property and money confiscated. Luther claimed they should be shown no mercy or kindness,[3] afforded no legal protection,[4] and "these poisonous envenomed worms" should be drafted into forced labor or expelled for all time.[5] He also advocates their murder, writing "[W]e are at fault in not slaying them".[6]"

The book may have had an impact on creating later antisemitic German thought.[7] With the rise of the Nazi Party in Weimar Germany, the book became widely popular among its supporters. During World War II, copies of the book were commonly seen at Nazi rallies, and the prevailing scholarly consensus is that it may have had a significant impact on justifying the Holocaust.[8] Since then, the book has been denounced by many Lutheran churches.[9]"

The Holocaust was justified by mainstream Christianity.

Hello Paul,

The concept of the rapture, known theologically as dispensational premillennialism, is most commonly adhered to in evangelical and fundamental churches.

This belief in the rapture, so prevalent in these evangelical churches in the U.S. causes what is now known as "Rapture anxiety".

“Rapture anxiety" is recognized by some faith experts and mental health professionals as a type of religious trauma.

It can cause an increase of anxiety, depression, paranoia and even some OCD-like behaviours.

For some like Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell their extreme religious beliefs have caused them to show no human regard even for their own family members.

Maybe this lack of empathy in some evangelistic Christians helps explain why Scott Morrison was recently described as a ‘bottomless well of self-pity’ with no ‘mercy’ for Robodebt’s real victims".

Hi david f,

What were the underlying reasons for Luthers animosity towards them?
What was his real beef, why did he feel that way, and was there any merit to his reasoning?

Hi Paul,

I think extreme religious beliefs can certainly be dangerous to others
I've seen videos of muslim extremeists throwing alledgedly gay people from the top of buildings, and while I'm not gay and do not support the gay agenda, I don't think it's right that they should've been thrown of buildings.

While on that topic though, there's plenty of borderline mentally ill trans people, who have perpetrated mass shooting for their resentment of christians and others who don't support them.

All beliefs if taken to an extreme of 'end's justifies the means' can potentially become dangerous to others.

Dear Armchair Critic,

Luther pointed out the corruption and failings of the Catholic Church. He apparently thought Jews didn't become Christians because of Catholic corruption. He founded a new religion supposedly free of Catholic corruption. He expected Jews to adopt his new religion. When Jews didn't adopt his form of Christianity, he became angry at them. My previous post cited an expression of his anger which was consistent with Nazi hatred of Jews. The Nazi hatred didn't come out of nowhere. It was inspired by Christian hatred.

Jew hatred has been around long before Luther. Long before Germany existed. I recall an obscure Arab rabble-rouser from the 6th century who also preached Jew hatred. Oh and Sargon II from the 8th century BC seemed none too fond of the Jews either. Oh and Nebuchadnezzar II seemed to have a special dislike of them. Oh and.....

And religion taken to extremes becomes extremist. The religion of Marxism taken to extremes results in the Holodomor and the gulag.

As regards Vallow et al, it seems they were just insane, but if you look at their belief systems, its closer to Zoroastrianism than Christian.