Simon Wrote:
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> You have a funny way of arguing sometimes. You
> ignore my main points, and bring up one example
> that you say is a case where you say my point was
> invalidated (albeit an admittedly good example for
> your case). Then when I ask "Are you confident
> that if something like the inquisition happened in
> Ancient Egypt we would know about it ?" - you
> ignore that.

If systematic genocide and cultural genocide were carried out throughout a large area by literate people (who have left records), over a period of several centuries, I would expect to see some evidence of that.


>
> This is not too different from the broad general
> statement I made that started this part of the
> conversation.

Your actual example is not too different, but you are comparing a specific to a broad general. Compare like with like.



> > Akhenaten was a lone nut,
> > who had radical ideas concerning religion.
> More
> > importantly, Egypt suffered politically
> during his
> > reign, and there was a real need to overcome
> the
> > damage that his neglect caused.
> >
>
>
> Ahhh - so radical new ideas that cause upheavals,
> especially political and spiritual, cause concern
> to the upholders of the status quo ?

There's no evidence that his "radical" ideas caused anything. His neglect of his duties and his self-indulgent obsession with his own thoughts caused problems for his country. Patriots sought to restore the country.



> >
> > Bottom line, there's no analogy with the kind
> of
> > spin-doctoring the Ramessides did in this
> limited
> > instance, and the actions of an institution
> that
> > has followed a consistent policy of
> deliberate
> > cultural genocide for 2000 years.
> >
>
> Ah thats just plain ignorant of history. Most of
> the cultures that become big enough to become
> considered A culture, start off by dominating and
> hijacking one or more other cultures.

There's a novel idea for anthropology! A culture has to become big enough to be considered a culture? I don't think so....


> Your big
> thing here because of your cultural bias in "South
> American" culture like you can generalise it all
> into one lump and blame the church. No mention of
> the concept that maybe the Aztecs did more
> destruction to the possibly more valuable
> "knowledge" of the Mayans ?

Hopefully, you're kidding, particularly since you started off accusing me of ignorance of history. I think you need to read up on the conquest, find out what Cortez, Pizarro, De Soto, and so many others openly admitted doing, or whose "exploits" were recorded at the time by their companions.


> And what about the culture that the church helped
> develop and foster - the renaisance, the
> development of science and art and music ???

What's the relevance? Hitler promoted Wagner's music. Does that negate the holocaust?