Danes feel Obama is greater than Jesus

[--Pete]

Hi,

That said, I felt that kandrathe was making a lot of over-genralizations.

I agree completely.

Now I don't have a problem with him saying things about the Danes: they're a horrible nation of Ludfisk-eaters, only slight less despicable than the Norwegians.

You wouldn't happen to be a Swede by any chance? :whistling:

But I do think, especially in the current world situation and the need for tolerant societies with a plurality of different beliefs, that one has to be very careful about about sterotyping whole religious groups.

Again, I agree.

I took kandrathe's original point to be that Christians were more tolerant than Muslims . . .

I thought the original post was pointless. Whatever. Had you responded to that post, I would have agreed with you.

On the other hand, he appeared to be a lot more defensive about any shortcomings shown by Christians and discounted that they meant anything about true Christianity.

Yes.

In that context, his statement that "I don't have a problem with many Muslims. I'd say about 90% are not the radical variety that condone terrorist violence." sounds a lot more like an implication that Muslims are more inclined to terrorism than non-Muslims --- which is certainly how I took it --- than "Most Muslims are so gosh-darn nice," which is how you appear to have read it.

Within the context of where the thread had gone, your interpretation is illogical. By that point, the discussion had turned to the value of religion and whether it was a positive or negative influence on society. kandrathe's point was that he felt that Islam was, overall, a positive influence in spite of its bad reputation in the West. Taken together with the paragraph immediately before, what he is saying is that he, too, has a problem with extremists, but not with the religion they claim to profess. And that extremists represent only a small part of the population. Indeed, by saying "I'd say about 90% are not the radical variety" rather than 'I'd say about 10% are the radical variety' he appears to be focusing on the positive, not the negative.

And the idea that Islam and Muslims are intrinsically more violent than Christianity and Christians, say, is indeed a very wide-spread view, whether or not it's true, and whether or not it's what kandrathe meant.

Yes. But so what?

To interpret my objection to his statement as coming merely from the fact that it suggested *some* Muslims (like *some* Christians, and *some* Athiests) are not decent people, is a knee jerk reaction probably caused by an inability to understanding opposing views. To read into my statement any form of political correctness is just plain ignorant. Ignorant of logic, ignorant of meanings, ignorant of argument.;)

Cute. May I refer you to one of my favorite plays, Cyrano de Bergerac. Specifically the scene where the Viscount attempts to insult Cyrano:

THE VISCOUNT:
No one? But wait!
I'll treat him to. . .one of my quips!. . .See here!. . .
(He goes up to Cyrano, who is watching him, and with a conceited air):
Sir, your nose is. . .hmm. . .it is. . .very big!

CYRANO (gravely):
Very!

THE VISCOUNT (laughing):
Ha!

CYRANO (imperturbably):
Is that all?. . .

THE VISCOUNT:
What do you mean?

CYRANO:
Ah no! young blade! That was a trifle short!
You might have said at least a hundred things
By varying the tone. . .like this, suppose,. . .
Aggressive: 'Sir, if I had such a nose
I'd amputate it!' Friendly: 'When you sup
It must annoy you, dipping in your cup;
You need a drinking-bowl of special shape!'
Descriptive: ''Tis a rock!. . .a peak!. . .a cape!
--A cape, forsooth! 'Tis a peninsular!'
Curious: 'How serves that oblong capsular?
For scissor-sheath? Or pot to hold your ink?'
Gracious: 'You love the little birds, I think?
I see you've managed with a fond research
To find their tiny claws a roomy perch!'
Truculent: 'When you smoke your pipe. . .suppose
That the tobacco-smoke spouts from your nose--
Do not the neighbors, as the fumes rise higher,
Cry terror-struck: "The chimney is afire"?'
Considerate: 'Take care,. . .your head bowed low
By such a weight. . .lest head o'er heels you go!'
Tender: 'Pray get a small umbrella made,
Lest its bright color in the sun should fade!'
Pedantic: 'That beast Aristophanes
Names Hippocamelelephantoles
Must have possessed just such a solid lump
Of flesh and bone, beneath his forehead's bump!'
Cavalier: 'The last fashion, friend, that hook?
To hang your hat on? 'Tis a useful crook!'
Emphatic: 'No wind, O majestic nose,
Can give THEE cold!--save when the mistral blows!'
Dramatic: 'When it bleeds, what a Red Sea!'
Admiring: 'Sign for a perfumery!'
Lyric: 'Is this a conch?. . .a Triton you?'
Simple: 'When is the monument on view?'
Rustic: 'That thing a nose? Marry-come-up!
'Tis a dwarf pumpkin, or a prize turnip!'
Military: 'Point against cavalry!'
Practical: 'Put it in a lottery!
Assuredly 'twould be the biggest prize!'
Or. . .parodying Pyramus' sighs. . .
'Behold the nose that mars the harmony
Of its master's phiz! blushing its treachery!'
--Such, my dear sir, is what you might have said,
Had you of wit or letters the least jot:
But, O most lamentable man!--of wit
You never had an atom, and of letters
You have three letters only!--they spell Ass!
And--had you had the necessary wit,
To serve me all the pleasantries I quote
Before this noble audience. . .e'en so,
You would not have been let to utter one--
Nay, not the half or quarter of such jest!
I take them from myself all in good part,
But not from any other man that breathes!

Please do ignore the last 12 lines, for I mean no insult. But do take the lesson, for a witty comeback is best when it is fresh. Recycled wit is but half wit. :P

--Pete