Quote Originally Posted by Gandalf View Post
I would take the word smart out of the equation and replace it with religious. Hitler himself was a Catholic, Blair a Catholic, Bush a Christian Fundamentalist, the Middle East is full of off their rocker type leaders who will stone a women for looking at a man. Religion has been the greatest hindrance to human peace in human history.

Even the people to be protected as advocated by Jesus, was only a 'protect our own' peace. He wanted to protect Jews and Jews alone, the love thy neighbors of the 10 commandments were Jews, it was only ever about another form of worshipping in a cult. Heathens were always acceptable roadkill according to the Bible.

If, and I really doubt most of the evidence proffered in the Bible, is true, Jesus really decided to sacrifice himself in an attempt to cleanse away all past and future sins, then it was surely an act of supreme arrogance, as he clearly wasn't the son of God. More realistic was that he was bugging the Romans, got caught and died. End of. Then later, some blokes get an idea on how to reinterpret that life and it became influence and power.
And Mao & Stalin worshipped what? You would be the expert on arrogance.