In the mid-1800s, a man from southeast China claimed to be the brother of Jesus Christ and founded an oppositional state within the Chinese empire. He amassed 30 million followers and attempted to topple imperial rule. The ensuing civil war resulted in 20 million deaths and a severely weakened ruling class. Even though this was a factor that led to the eventual rise of the Communist Party, the lesson was clear: Cults were efficient conduits for social engineering. The central government has since been wary of groups that could manipulate the beliefs of the general populace. In fact, members of the Party are required to be atheists. It goes to show that having faith in an ideology like Atheism nor some religious text is no guarantee of peaceful moral choices. Sun Yat Sen, Mao and now The Eastern Lightning Cult are all examples of ideologies that lead to violence. While I admire Yat Sens democratic aspirations, it all led to a power vacuum that Marxists took advantage of. What you put your faith in is ultimately the most important choice you can make. Choices that allow others to also choose, may be a good way to go.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 02:40:08 +0000
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