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You are correct that the Nationalists are nearly exclusively Catholic and the Unionists near exclusively Protestant and also correct that the Battle of the Boyne is a key event in the conflict.
However, the conflict goes further back to the 1500's when England began confiscating land owned by the Celts and was intensified when Cromwell began taking over territory. The Battle of the Boyne happened later and is still celebrated by the Orange Order, but that was more about the land and the crown than about people of differing religions. It happens that the majority identified as one religion or the other, but there were mixed religions in the Battle of the Boyne.
When the Republic of Ireland won independence in the ealy 1900's, they were fighting for independence from England, not for their religion. After that battle, the lines were drawn for Northern Ireland which created an area where the majority would be loyal to the throne, and yes, they are primarily Protestant. However, the Repbulicans are not fighting primarily for their religion, they are fighting for a united Republic of Ireland. That's why the factions use names such as Irish Republican Army, Ulster Volunteer Force, Republican, Loyalist etc. Catholic and Protestant is an overlay to the political battle.
When those groups split and form various factions, those splits happen because there is disagreement over the political stance made by the original group, not over a difference in religion.
Interesting. I didn't know about the PFLP. I'll defer to you on that one because I haven't studied that one nearly as much.
The only thing that flies against that are the Old English. The Old English were Medieval English lords who received lands in the 12th century around Dublin during the Norman invasion of Ireland. They were very much English, as opposed to Celtic, in fact they sided with the Protestants against the Celtic lords during the nine years war. As the Tudor reconquest was furthered, the plantation system created, and Catholic public office ban enacted the Old English became more and more marginalized. As a result their religion rather then their Anglo-Saxon heritage became the driving force for their alliance with the Celts in the rebellion of 1641. During the Cromwellian conquest these English Catholic lords were dispossessed along with their fellow Gaelic lords. This very fact demonstrates that after the anti-Catholic reforms of the early 1600s religion played more of a role then Nationality in Irish conflicts. This fact is magnified by the old English lords who did convert, among them Edmund Burke's family were able to retain their lands and title.
And Jesus married a six year old and consumated the relation when she was nine; those silly Christians are still marrying off their little girls even today. Did you hear about the crazy Texan Christians throwing acid on women with exposed ankles? And boy, those Christian suicide bombers are a major pain. My neighbor had to flee Lebanon because aposty, she converted to Islam! Can you imagine! Damn crazies, yesterday I heard they burned down another school. Christians, the horror.
These pro-life, Planned Parenthood-bombing, gay-bashing Christian fanatics are no different than the Taliban. American Terrorists. They all fight and kill over the same things just one side thinks their God has a bigger male reproductive organ and the other disagrees.
If Muslim and terrorist can go together, why not Christian and terrorist?
You Christians are so arrogant, do you even realize the terrorism you have committed?
The Inquisition was a reign of terror. Every single abortion doctor who is murdered is killed by a Christian terrorist. The Ku Klux Klan are Christian terrorists. The Olympic Park Bombing a the Atlanta olympics was an act of Christian terrorism.
The "Army of God" is a Christian Terrorist organization.
IRELAND and England has been rocked with Christian Terrorism for years.
There are just as many peaceful Muslims as there are Christians, terrorism is not solely the method of brown skinned Allah-worshippers, white-skinned Jesus worshippers are terrorists too.
The whole point is that anyone who follows a religion so blindly and so fervently is dangerous, not just those who believe in Allah. Those who believe in Krishna, Buddha, Zeus, Jesus or any other diety as supreme and all powerful, are all dangerous. Religion is irrational, but most people don't allow it to run their lives, those who do are the ones who can snap and become terrorists.
As you can see, Christians are just as dangerous as Muslims. Hindus are also known for terrorist acts. Even those who follow idealogies like Environmentalism or Animal Rights to the extreme can be dangerous terrorists.
To deny that Christians can be terrorists is to claim ignorance. Christians have murdered millions in the name of their myths and stories of make-believe fantasies.
Nice blanket statement there, I'm guessing you're not a Christian.
You have the proof that every abortionist is a Christian?
I notice you bring up radical race groups and their religious affiliation, but noticed no one called out the fact that majority of the Black Panthers are Muslims during the past 8 years after Sept 11th?
And yet all the attacks by Muslims against Americans are out weighed by one act from a Christian? This can go in circles.
I'm neither Muslim, or Christian. I'm a Spiritualist, but even I know that this whole debate is asinine. An entire group of people should not be persecuted due to their race, creed, or color because of the actions of a very, very small percentage of the kind. Have to learn to grow up.
Plus, I'd hate to break it to you all, but Muslims, Christians and Jews believe in the same God and follow the same scriptures. The only differences are that Muslims follow their linage through Ismael, Jews and Christians are through Isaac. That and Jews only follow the Old testament, while Christians also follow the new testament.
I don't know, when you push anti-gay leglisation and anti-abortion leglisation, you seem to be based on religion.
It goes both ways. Again, if they hated all Christians and not just those with money, why wouldn't El Salvador, Guatemela and Argentina be major targets for the Jihadists?
Why would they have attacked the World Trade Center when the Vatican would have been a much more significant symbol of Christianity?
Think before you type, it helps your argument.
Sorry, I got lost looking for the relevance of your argument.
And Jesus married a six year old and consumated the relation when she was nine; those silly Christians are still marrying off their little girls even today. Did you hear about the crazy Texan Christians throwing acid on women with exposed ankles? And boy, those Christian suicide bombers are a major pain. My neighbor had to flee Lebanon because aposty, she converted to Islam! Can you imagine! Damn crazies, yesterday I heard they burned down another school. Christians, the horror.
I DID hear of those things....now that you mention it. I also recall the massive public show of support for famous Christian martyr Timothy McVeigh..the 'sham' of a trial as they decided his fate...the surging followers wailing and moaning after his execution, as they carried his body to the cemetery during his State Funeral...the huge number of Christian male babies named 'Timothy' in the months that followed...and the pilgrims who STILL take their meager vacation time today to visit the grave of Timothy McVeigh. Wonder if Tim ever got his '72 virgins'?
Crazy, wacko, Christians indeed! You just NEVER know what those lunatics are going to pull next. Most of them are STILL mad at what the government did to McVeigh. He was truly an inspiration to ALL of us.
Mac, you are killing me with your comments lol.
The OP has a deep hatred of christians.
Any debate that christians have as many "Terrorist's" or support of Terrorism..
As the "Religon of Peace" is absurd.
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