"Holy Wars"

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First, there has never existed, in all of history, anything truly or accurately called a "holy war." This was a cynical phrase created by cruel and spiritually arrested fanatics, designed to justify violence, torture, murder, and greed. It was also designed to mislead the innocent, to get them to support the ghastly agonies of terrible wars.

The horrors of the Crusades, Inquisitions, and others were attempted to be "justified," or at least, dismissed, with the use of this Church-approved but despicable term. But no war in the history of the world has ever had anything to do with "holiness."

And yes, these wars did indeed exacerbate an already nightmarish relationship between the warring parties. War always has precisely this effect, and never improves any situation. This seems selfevident. But the propoganda of any war seeks to conceal this common-sense fact.

While the current war in Iraq, for example, is not usually blatantly called a "holy war" by Christians, many of them think that it is justified, or even commanded, by their god. They are sadly, and radically, on the wrong track here. God (Love) has and had absolutely nothing to do with this horrific conflict, which has resulted in the murder of over one hundred twelve thousand innocent Iraqis, and over twenty-two hundred American girls and boys-- noble children who gave their all in most tender and sincere patriotism for greedy old men, cynics without compassion in their hearts!
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