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I agree Navin that humanity is currently digging its own hole deeper with successive generatoins. I also agree that humans, in our wisdom or folly, have created these handy explanations for how the world works.
Ok now then...
ethereal, the only reason homosexuality causes rifts in society is because people are trying to stick their noses into other people's business. If we just stopped caring about what people do in their own homes that is within the bounds of moral code (i.e. they are not raping, killing, torturing, or otherwise acting without the consent of their partner) then we wouldn't have this rift in society. Just because a portion of the population doesn't agree with another portion of the population that happens to want to use a microwave instead of a stove in their kitchen doesn't mean that we should make laws banning microwaves from the home. The same goes for couples. If two guys want to live together and are in love with eachother, and their next door neighbor's don't agree with that, that's no reason to try and create a law that prohibits those two men from legally binding themselves to eachother. Nor is it a reason to deny either of those guys jobs in the workforce. My point is that if christians weren't making such a big deal out of homosexuality right now, there wouldn't be a rift in society over it.
As to the interpretation of the bible, you are right. It doesn't condone mass murder. However, it does say that any non-believer is in unclean person until they are converted. It is this saying that the initiators of the crusade used to motivate the soldiers. It made perfect sense for the time period. If they won't convert, skewer them and get their sinfull souls off this planet. I know that's not the mentality now, but that's what it was like during the crusades. If you want proof of it, just take a look at the formation of the Jesuits. Missionaries sent off to every corner of the known world with the message, "Convert, or I'll call in the army."
(I appologize for not directly quoting the Bible but I don't have one on hand to quote from.)
So if killing people furthers Satan's cause why are there so many holy wars? There's holy wars agains gays, muslims, and about every other group or idea that christianity doesn't whole heartedly support. It's odd that a religion so intent on living in harmony with your fellow man is one of the two most warmongering religions in the world. If killing people serves satan, than holy wars must be like a birthday present for him.
True, it is ironic that the words, "bodily destruction serves no purpose in it," cause so many deaths. Though, the entire phrase itself does not cause deaths, the people who believe it overlay it onto every situation, causing every battle to become a spiritual one. While they may view the battle as spiritual that doesn't make the bullets and swords any less physical or capable of doing damage.
Sorry for the length of the off topic section....
ON the topic however, no, it doesn't matter in the least what happens after you die because guess what? Your dead. It's not like you can do anything about it, so why worry?
"Balance comes to all things in time. Some make it their duty to tear it apart. It is my duty to balance it out once more."
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