Ashes - will you be getting them

guys, why turn this discussion to a religion bashing session? it's not religion that's to blame for deaths and violence, it's the people - there are no violent or peaceful religions, it's a general human characteristics to turn nasty on people who don't agree with our opinions ...i believe that differences in religious beliefs and resulting violence are just a comfortable excuse for people not trying hard enough to achieve any kind of agreement with others because it's much comfortable to raise a fist ..
 

+1 Wars are fought for the control of resources. The fact that the groups fighting each other may have different religious views is incidental in almost every case.
 
+1 Wars are fought for the control of resources. The fact that the groups fighting each other may have different religious views is incidental in almost every case.

Largely that's the case in modern times and pretty much at the root in all other times. Even as an atheist I don't buy the "religion = war" argument. You only have to look at histories most notorious Atheists/Agnostics: Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin. Ordinary decent people I'm sure.

Having said that I'd largely agree with UFC. People have a right to have an opinion and/or belief, but I have the right to question that if and when it is given protection in law and society above and beyond other beliefs.

Religion doesn't have the copyright on being an ethical, moral human.

I suppose coming back to the OP, i think it's more ignorance of the ash than anything else or anything too malicious. It isn't that common these days and even still (having no idea of what day it is) it still takes a couple of seconds for me not to think "do they know they've a big smudge of dirt in their heads?" Plus it's a ritual that has fallen out of fashion because you don't get chocolate or presents on Ash Wednesday, so it's one of those rubbish ones that only aul ones do.

Even so, maybe they did find it funny or strange, maybe they should have had a bit more sensitivity. But where do we draw the line in tollerance and sensitivity? Would we get the same thread if it were a couple of office workers mocking a Scientologist's ritual?
 
+1 Wars are fought for the control of resources. The fact that the groups fighting each other may have different religious views is incidental in almost every case.
I agree with Purple on this. Once these wars/flare ups are looked at in a deeper sense you see the true reason.
 
there are differences between the roman and the eastern catholic churches though both of them recognize pope as the big boss ...

I realise that. The statement made was that "practising catholics receive ashes".

Eastern/Greek catholic church members are obviously catholics.