Yup. You can add indigenous cultures, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. to the list. Then you can compare and contrast them to find the common demonanators. Once we let go of the idea of "my way is the only way", there can be peace.
Why though? Because DaDakota has the guts to publicly say what the majority of us know, but are scared to say publicly? I'll say it right now. The war on terror is really a war on radical Islam. One of the biggest problems with political correctness is it suppresses views like this because it is controversial EVEN if the statement makes a lot of logical sense. Islam itself is not an evil religion, but a large minority of the people that practice it take it so seriously that they are willing to do anything in the name of their religion. To win this war, you have to change the way an entire people think, something they are going to view as intrusive and it sure as hell is intrusive, but I just think a conflict between radical Islam and the people they target (that would be Americans) is unavoidable in the long run. Both ways can not co-exist. Either the Muslim people of the world break down some of the walls between their religion and the progression of their people or someone outside of these countries is going to do it for them. It really is join the 21st century or else. That's reality when you remove all the sugar coated politically correct BS. Ban me from the forum if you don't like it, but you won't change reality by doing so.
I hope you realize that no people I've met in the entire world believe in the idea of "my way is the only way" more than the Muslims. Especially in Saudi Arabia who I feel it would be an understatement to label as the most intolerant people of other cultures in the history of the world.
Well that is just your opinion. You have the right to call all muslims blatant idiots all day. I mean it doesnt mean anyone will listen to you. Majority of people in the WORLD that believe my way is the only way are Muslims. right You are basing your whole judgment on a few so called " muslims" and stereotyping that towards the whole religion. Go to your local mosque and talk to the people there. See how they feel about other religions. They wont put a bullet in your head for not being Muslim. Not all muslims are likey that. Heck not even a majority of them are like that. Your example about Saudi is based on what experiance. It all depends. If you go to the holiest site of a religion and try to preach your own religion, you will get the finger, or atleast a " who's this idiot" look. I mean if I go to India to the Ganges river (or any other religious shrine) and say So what do you guys think of your religion and do you think it is the way to go? Not one of them will say No, my religion is wrong, and Christianity is the right way to go. So who exactly is this Majority that you speek of? And what proof do you have that a LARGE minorty of Muslims are fanatics or crazed out terrorists. The largest countries with Muslim Populations are fairly peaceful. 1)Indonesia 182,570,000 3)India 121,000,000 4) Bangladesh 114,080,000 5)Turkey 65,510,000 So 4 out of the top 5 countries with the largest Muslim Poplulation are countries whose muslims have a history of being some of the most peaceful people. Then there are countries like the US, European Countries, who also add to the number of peaceful muslims. And many African Muslim Nations aren't fanatics. So that leaves A few in the Middle East. So where you are getting your stats I have no IDea. http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=largest+muslim+populations&fr=my_top
I don't think calling it this would be wrong if it were actually a war on Islamic radicals. If this is so, why did we not invade the main creator and supporter of Islamic radicals - Saudi Arabia and state supported Wahhabism? Heck, we should have just crushed Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, #2 in the world in creator and supporter of madrassas. By their logic, we non Islamic fundies are heretics. After Afghanistan, the Bushies just turned the whole war on terror into an exercise in realpolitik'ing. BTW, I agree with DaDakota on all religions being about equal.
Fundamentalists of *every* religion believe this. Christian fundies are no different. The way they attempt to control the content of science books is scary.
Listen, if you sit 10 people down and ask them what the best color in the world is, you'll probably get lots of different answers. In this case, it's safe to assume that every answer is as good as the next. Because colors are identical in everything except their essence - color basically. Only difference between red and green is that red is red and green is green. However, when it comes to religions, you have different views, rules, theories, predictions and levels of strictness. So the fact that religions vary so much - how can you say some aren't better than others? How can you say they're all equal when FEW things are common between them? Oh, and if we're going to start reffering to radical Islam and its controversial practices, then I reserve the right to speak in the same context (radicalism) about Juddaism and Christianity. It's only fair. On a side note, I believe in my religion, I have faith in it. If you believe that all religions are equal or that there's no "one" way then the most likely reason is your lack of faith in YOUR religion or "Iman" for those who understand Arabic/Persian. I know what there is to know about other religions - I wasn't afraid to read about Juddaism and Christiaity, to study parts of their books - and in the end I came to the decision that I believe Islam more than anything else. If you guys don't mind me asking, what religion do you believe in?
Religion promotes faith within the vagueness of the universe. Science promotes knowledge within the vagueness of the universe. Think about it this way...What good is "understanding and knowledge" if you die in the end, anyways? Unless you believe in the spirit. In a lifetime, do you think that man will get the ultimate question answered: Why are we here? Absolute truths (plural) are for math (except quantum theory). The only absolute truth that matters in religion is that there IS a god. All our efforts to further the human race is just a distraction for our desire to find a greater truth. But we wont find it in technology, math or science. Those are only used to keep us busy in the mean time...until we die. Believe in a god yet? Or will you stubbornly refuse? So be it...it's your choice.
Non-denomination Christian. But I embrace scientific discovery in my idle time. Heh... Fundamentalist Christians have accused me of believing in the "devils work (science)." It can be. If you worship it. But that goes for anything. Lust, money, power, etc...
My example of Saudi Arabia is based on me living there for 15 years. If you don't believe me, go there yourself sometime (oh wait. Unless you're a Muslim you can't enter the country without special government permission. If that's not intolerance, I don't know what is). As for trying to go to the holiest site of the Muslim religion, you can't do that as a non-Muslim either. In fact, you can not enter the city of Mecca as a non-Muslim without going to jail. You know, you seem to be well read on the subject, but you lack my first hand experience on the matter as do probably 99% of the people you meet that agree with your points of views. I know I'm asking you to take my word for these things and that's asking a lot on an internet message board, but everything I say comes from personal experience through fifteen years of living in Saudi Arabia and travelling throughout the middle east. That should make a light go off in your head (that maybe I might have a point after all) but my experience tells me people usually make up their minds on these issues whether its based on fact or not and would rather die than admit they're wrong.
How many times do I have to explain this. The economies of both America and Saudi Arabia are 100% dependant on the Saudi-American oil relationship. Dissolve that relationship, or put a high tariff on Saudi oil and you destroy both economies. For that reason, a Saudi native could nuke an American city and I still doubt even then that you will see an invasion of Saudi Arabia, at least not as long as we lack an adequate, affordable alternative fuel supply. Now you're dead right when you point the finger at Saudi Arabia as being the biggest problem for American security. Contrary to what some have all ready labeled me (as is to be expected on internet message boards), I do not think all Muslims are intolerant and radical. I do believe that there is a large minority that think this way and that minority is sizeable and determined enough to constitute a threat to American security. And no place in the middle east will you find a collective people as radical as you find in Saudi Arabia. But as long as they sit on 15 to 20% of the world's oil, they will remain our best friend no matter how many times they step on us. Trust me, I know it's frustrating. One should add when discussing the Saudi issue that their government really is pro-America and fully understand the importance of everything I said above. They know that if they lose America as a buyer of their oil tomorrow, all the countries in the world combined will not be able to purchase half the oil that America purchases from them annually. That will be the end of Saudi Arabia's 2nd world status and they know it. Yes, there have been reports of the wives of a Royal family member donating money to terrorists, but you have to put that in perspective. The Royal family consists of thousands of people. I'm talking hundreds of wives with thousands of children and those children's children. There's bound to be a few bad apples in that group especially when you consider the environment they live in. The people that matter, the ones at the top, have the same interests that any U.S. president current or future will have with respect to the Saudi-U.S. oil relationship. The fear is that the public does not agree with their leaders' stance. As evidenced by several "Arab News" and "Saudi Gazzette" polls I saw when I was living in the kingdom, a large sect of the Saudi population wishes their king would cut the American oil supply off or put a large tariff on Saudi oil to America. These people are obviously ignorant of what that would mean to their country's economy and thus their way of life (which is superior to what you find in most middle eastern countries in many Saudi Arabian cities even though the rural areas couldn't be more poor). But the size of their minority combined with their religiously driven points of views make Saudi Arabia ripe for a coup and if/when that coup happens, the sh-- will really hit the fan in the mideast.
Does saying this really make you feel better? Unlike Christian "fundies," Muslim "fundies" are the dominant political force in Islamic societies, not to mention their agendas are much more extreme. It is a problem, and talking about Christian fundies isn't a solution to it.
Thank you. I wanted to respond to this quote as well, but was searching for the right words. You said it about as well as it could be said.
If the Christian fundies were more distributed around the country for purposes of electoral votes, they would be the dominant political force in the United States. As it is they are a major political player in many southern states and represented in the cabinet. See Alabama ten commandments fiasco, the fact that every public school science book that mentions religion without equal time for pseudo science like creationism is a high faluting controversy, the psycho vehemence of the anti abortion movement, the popularity of flim flam shows such as the 700 club, and the Jesus freaks John Ashcroft and George W Bush running the show.
this post is classic. Jesus freaks?? yeah, that's kinda what equating Jesus to God does. If you believe He's God...and you're not a Jesus Freak..you're missing something.
Talk to me when Christian fundies start hijacking airplanes and flying them into buildings. Talk to me when Christian fundies strap bombs to themselves blowing themselves and innocent victims up. While you and I may agree that Christian "fundies" and Islamic "fundies" are equally ignorant, there si a defintely a difference between the ways the two parties carry out their political messages. I really don't understand how you can compare a Christian "fundies" attempt to keep the Ten Commandments from being displayed in a court of law to Islamic "fundies" killing people in the name of their religion. You're comparing apples and oranges. One protests violently and one protests non-violently and it is the violent protester is in a class of his own when it comes to being a problem.
As Deuce Rings pointed out, that stuff isn't even comparable to the war extremist Muslims are carrying out. I could make a similar list of the wacky liberal agenda, but I won't confuse them with terrorists who are at war with us.
There are other Christians that don't live in America ya know. Many of them are violent. Christianity has a very violent history too. And let's not forget abortion doctor murderers, fringe groups such as the KKK, and most militias and white-supremacy groups, for whom Christianity is an integral part and motive for their terrorism. But the blame game is crap. It won't get you anywhere. It is the "my beliefs are better than yours" in action. When you forcibly push your religious views on anyone, it is oppressive, period.
I agree..............but when someone pushes their beliefs on you violently as has been occurring in the middle east for a while now, how is one to deal with such a problem. It seems the only solution is to suppress or change such beliefs and that's the irony of the situation.
Yeah, but it is how you get them to change that is important, and very difficult. It involves listening without reacting, without judging and blaming. Only then can you help them discover their own misunderstandings so that they will stop violent acts from their own will. Violence trancesnds all people and all religions.
