06-11-2005, 05:23 PM
I only say "marginally" based on the (slight) numerical and geographical superiority of Christians. If the situation were backwards in terms of Islam having conquered South America (or converted the Slavs, or whatever reversal you like), then I would say "marginally" the other way around.
"The explicit second class status of women, and for that matter a non Muslim in a Muslim society, is a matter of habit, doctrine and centuries of precedent. What is remarkable is the progress that modernists, such as Ataturk or some of the Baathist, made in the face of such embedded norms."
This was true of the United States until... when? The second world war? The fifties? In god we trust? Maybe it isn't even true now. Can you really say that you can go to "christendom" (not only counting the "west", but also Africa and South America) and find attitudes much different from what prevails in much of the Muslim world? Maybe the Christians are ahead in the race, but only in the more priveleged countries, and even then, not by a large enough margin to really pat themselves on the back too hard. There's still a huge amount of work to be done in the area of equality for women, other races, other faiths (and non-faiths), other beliefs.
The US constitution, thanks to a few visionary types, went much farther than those it governs would ever have supported, were it put to a referendum. I hope it continues to do what it is supposed to, and I hope for something as useful in the Islamic world. We'll see.
Jester
"The explicit second class status of women, and for that matter a non Muslim in a Muslim society, is a matter of habit, doctrine and centuries of precedent. What is remarkable is the progress that modernists, such as Ataturk or some of the Baathist, made in the face of such embedded norms."
This was true of the United States until... when? The second world war? The fifties? In god we trust? Maybe it isn't even true now. Can you really say that you can go to "christendom" (not only counting the "west", but also Africa and South America) and find attitudes much different from what prevails in much of the Muslim world? Maybe the Christians are ahead in the race, but only in the more priveleged countries, and even then, not by a large enough margin to really pat themselves on the back too hard. There's still a huge amount of work to be done in the area of equality for women, other races, other faiths (and non-faiths), other beliefs.
The US constitution, thanks to a few visionary types, went much farther than those it governs would ever have supported, were it put to a referendum. I hope it continues to do what it is supposed to, and I hope for something as useful in the Islamic world. We'll see.
Jester