07-19-2007, 08:41 AM
Quote:I had an interesting conversation with a guy who just returned from spending a couple of years in Kabul. He was commenting on some the difference in culture, including the virtual enslavement of women, and the cultural causes of it. In an Islamic society your innocents are not safe, so as a father and husband you build high walls around your house, hire armed guards to protect them, and cloth them in garments that would not entice attack. In contrast, a society who's people are called upon for having pure hearts and minds can allow their innocents to mix in society unmolested, even when in provocative clothing. The point is that if you merely look at the results of Islam in a society versus the results of Christianity in a society you would change your mind. There are theological reasons why this is so. BTW, I also would not desire any theocracies, but given a choice I would rather a society who model the behavior of Jesus, rather than those who model the behavior of Mohammad.
You are mistaking religion with culture.
At this moment in time the most developed countries are the ones with Christian backgrounds. The development of this countries happened despite Christianity, not because of Christianity.
It is just a question of time. I mean as little as 150 christian americans were slaughtering native americans...and I'm sure this was done, backed up by their faiths. As little as 300 years ago the protestant dutch were transporting slaves to the america's, and I'm also sure this was entirely accepted in the church.
Our culture has been greatly improved/altered, their culture hasn't yet. Big difference now is that with globalization everybody can see what happens everywhere, and hate mongers use that.
All religions to me are equally wrong. However culture/education/development is clearly superior in western europe. Saying that a religion is superior to another makes one part of the conflict.