religion and the western tradition

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Hello everyone, Taken from the commentary section of an opinion piece China Daily was running, see http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/articlecmt.shtml (for however long it stays up), the discusiion of religion in the West came about, and here is one of my responses, all eighty-eight cents worth: To understand the West, I think, requires one to understand the Judeo-Christian mindset. The Western perspective is not a single set of principles or morals, but a complex combination of different sets of ideas and beliefs. The Christians have a sense of Christian charity, to this end they seek to right wrongs and bring justice. Truth is a principle that they embrace, while recognizing that they are all sinners, who can be forgiven. The Catholics have a set of right and wrong as well as a Purgatory -- a place in between. But for the remaining Christians, things are black and white: you are in league with the devil or you are on the side of God, there is no in-between. Guess where non-Judeo-Christian fit in their neat little perspective? Now if one infidel is oppressing another infidel, the Christians will see fit to force them to behave -- hence siding with the Chinese in WW II, was a no-brainer. Just as Taiwan embraces the Western ideas, and allows the free spread of Christianity, what seems to put them squarely at odds with China, they see it as a Nation which denies the spread of Christianity, and hence is inherently evil. To the Westerners, any type of self-proclaimed human righteousness is clearly of the Devil, such would include any kind of people who would refuse to allow Christianity (and Judaism) to be allowed to flourish in their land -- to the Christians this is a precept of all Communist ideology. They will take up the battle-cry to beat back this evil at any cost. The reason for the Vietnam war was to stop the spread of the evil communist ideology, an ideology that excluded the opportunity for people to embrace Jesus Christ, the light of God. To them, any ideology that does not permit the spread of God's Word is clearly evil. Now, guess where that leaves China? To call for a jihad against the chosen people is also evil. To attempt to annihilate good God-fearing folks by any Nation is pure evil! Hitler was evil! The Soviet Union was evil! Iraq is evil! Japan was clearly aligned with this evil!