Assyria was known for its military might. The main occupation of this nation was war, and the clergy, along with politicians and the rich, were accomplices and instigators of war.   "Assyria" is a violent image, a symbol of the idolatrous religion and militant pagan culture of the eastern peoples.      In the twenty-first century, intolerance toward the Christian religion continues to be imposed at the state and societal level in some Eastern countries.