~<> wrote in message . ~> What’s the big deal? If god didn’t want this to happen, it would happen. ~How ~> could it be otherwise? Unless, of course, you believe he’s setting back ~> watching the drama unfold. Maybe he’s amused by it all. After all, ~what’s more ~> humorous than christian killing christian. ~> ~> So, answer please — how could this be happening without god’s tacit ~approval? ~ ~What’s your understanding of human free will?

For simplicity’s sake, free will is the right to do what one wishes. However, when an individual joins a group, some free will gives way to collective will — it matters not whether that group is a particular religion, the 4H, or the World Federation of Wrestlers. Express too much free will and the collective will punishes or expel — maybe even excommunicate or otherwise label you a sinner.

Name a religious collective that hasn’t seen fit to justify the killing of their own because of supposed differences in some petty matter. (Reality is that the killing is really about something else — from land and other resources to the essential survival instinct. The rallying point is religious however and the battle is fought with each side confident that they are on the right side of god.)

Free will would pertain to an individual christian killing another christian on his own volition. Collective will is a group in agreement killing another group (or perhaps, an individual). It has worked fine since time began — just get the group so inspired that they give up even more of their own will in favor of a jihad.

You can accomplish great things if you have followers who place little value on their free will. Some call it group-think. A charismatic leader can do magic.

Again I say, god must be amused to see (groups of)

christians killing (groups of) christians. Otherwise, how could it be allowed to happen?

Free will has little to do with it. ____________________________________ Regards,Opie He who knows one religion knows none