Have any truly religious people committed suicide bombing attacks?

[Boojatta]

[JuniperLea]

1. Yes, many, many truly religious people have committed suicide bombings...

I doubt that any truly spiritual people have, however.

[Deep13]

9. Perhaps you can explain the distinction...

...and why spirituality is necessarily nonviolent.

[JuniperLea]

12. In simple terms...

Religion is made up by men; spirituality is what a person feels when they look inward toward their own soul and the existence of humanity.

A spiritual person honors all life; a religious person only honors those whom their sect has deemed appropriate.

[Deep13]

16. Interesting. In the main, I agree...

...although there are religions that are eccumenical in nature and do not seek to divide the world into "us" and "them." I agree with your definition of spirituality in that it is inward-looking, though I would probably phrase it secular terms. I do think there is a large overlap between religious and spiritual.

I'm not sure I agree that it necessarily honors all life--which presumably includes plants and animals. Some spiritual points of view are ascetic and, therefore, tend to devalue all life including their own. Others are positively marshal in nature. I those involved in marshal religious and spiritual traditions would argue that they are not dishonoring their enemies, but they do kill them just the same.

[JuniperLea]

17. I have adopted a more Animist view lately...

My atoms, electrons, neutrons, etc., at a base level are not different from that of a rock, or water. I thank all that is for what I use... and right now I must thank the lettuce and other veggies for their sacrifice to my salad:D

[AKDavy]

2. Religious people might...

But moral people don't.

[JuniperLea]

13. I like that answer...

Moral people don't kill, but some religions deem it appropriate to kill certain other people... it's called bigotry and/or racism, but we aren't supposed to speak that way... shhhhhh...

[Ian David]

3. Everyone staffing a missile silo or assigned to an intercontinental ballistic bomber crew...

... is a suicide bomber.

[GKirk]

4. Uhmmm....

...no. Maybe you don't know this but the ICBM crews don't strap themselves to the missiles.

Well, except for maybe this guy:

[Ian David]

7. True, but they ARE targeted for the retaliatory strike which they will not survive. n/t

[GKirk]

14. So if I live or work

in that same area then I am suicidal too?

[Ian David]

15. Perhaps, but you're not a bomber. n/t

[cleanhippie]

8. Huh? Please explain.

[Deep13]

10. Not yet, they're not. nt

[Azooz]

5. maybe but they would only use a truly religious bomb

Monty Python-Holy Hand Grenade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOrgLj9lOwk


Both suicide and murder mean eternal hell for "truly religious" people, think of pulling the "holy grenade pin" as feeling like entering a boiling vat of oil, when that pain sets in you then throw the holy grenade (after counting the holy number of seconds) with your whole body now in hot flames and as the bomb lands you pray no innocents get harmed as it burn you to a crisp.

Sadly there is no "truly religious" bomb, and truly religious people have to face the same problems atheists would when pulling triggers, pulling levers or pushing buttons - wisdom is very rarely on the explosive side.

[Bad Thoughts]

6. You've put a lot of weight on "truly"

Are you trying to suggest that someone who is "truly religious" would have no other motivations than religion? I find it hard to believe that such a person would still not also be political. Indeed, if you had asked if there had been a completely religiously motivated suicide bombing, I might answer differently.

[Iggo]

11. Sure.

Just cuz they're doing it wrong doesn't mean their hearts aren't in it...for true.