06-12-2005, 04:00 AM
Minionman:
Agreed. Some of the most dangerous folks in any religion are the ones who take bits and pieces from a religious text and combine that with hellfire and brimstone style rhetoric. They prey on a populace's hopes and fears, say "God tells us to do this," and then proceed to do it - regardless of the fact it may be contrary to the spirit and motive behind the religion. I don't recall the exact percentages I read in a published report but a significant percentage of the suicide bombers are young, and of those, quite a few are women. The leaders of these groups are preying on the impressionable youth to do their dirty work.
Radical extremists in any religion do not help their cause. Many Americans believe most Muslims are happy to strap a suicide belt onto their bodies and run onto a schoolbus full of children. I would venture that only radical fringe elements of Islam is like this.
Jester:
Most of us have moved beyond that mindset. We've grown and become more "enlightened" to the benefits of equality between genders and races. Many Muslim nations haven't moved forward much in the last several hundred years, for various reasons.
-The types of societies in many Muslim nations still rely on family and clan groupings. This style of society is known for extraordinarily long memories regarding enemies and feuding.
-Many of the rules imposed on Middle Eastern society come from Islam. The religious and government leaders are not likely to create change that goes against the primary religion.
-Currently the Muslim world is ruled by men - why would they want to change that?
-Poorer countries like those of the Middle East (or at least where there is an extreme separation between the rich and the common folk) are ruled by the rich. They can buy the bullets so they rule by force.
-It is easier to rule your populace if they don't know any other doctrine than what you teach them in your religious teachings and in your state run schools.
Hopefully our current actions in the Middle East can be seen by current and future generations, not as the oppression or control of Islam, but as a vehicle for change to bring some of the more modern ideals to that part of the globe. Demcratic process, equality, more open communication, etc.
Quote:It has more to do with how people use what the religion says. Other religions have split, some people will ignore or not bother with different parts of a religion, etc. , so even if the laws say one thing groups of people will interperet them differently. Even if it is against the Quran to do some things, cultural groups may or may not follow it based on their traditions, who is in power, who can speak well, etc. If these areas continue to have problems because of these traditions, it seems evewntually people will start ignoring those rules if the rules aren't helping them in any way.
Agreed. Some of the most dangerous folks in any religion are the ones who take bits and pieces from a religious text and combine that with hellfire and brimstone style rhetoric. They prey on a populace's hopes and fears, say "God tells us to do this," and then proceed to do it - regardless of the fact it may be contrary to the spirit and motive behind the religion. I don't recall the exact percentages I read in a published report but a significant percentage of the suicide bombers are young, and of those, quite a few are women. The leaders of these groups are preying on the impressionable youth to do their dirty work.
Radical extremists in any religion do not help their cause. Many Americans believe most Muslims are happy to strap a suicide belt onto their bodies and run onto a schoolbus full of children. I would venture that only radical fringe elements of Islam is like this.
Jester:
Quote:Okay... but if you were a Muslim five hundred years ago, saying that the Christians, the conquering, crusading, colonizing, missionary Christians, with their autos de fe, their inqusitions, their overtly racist mindset, would become the model for tolerance and equality among races and genders?
Most of us have moved beyond that mindset. We've grown and become more "enlightened" to the benefits of equality between genders and races. Many Muslim nations haven't moved forward much in the last several hundred years, for various reasons.
-The types of societies in many Muslim nations still rely on family and clan groupings. This style of society is known for extraordinarily long memories regarding enemies and feuding.
-Many of the rules imposed on Middle Eastern society come from Islam. The religious and government leaders are not likely to create change that goes against the primary religion.
-Currently the Muslim world is ruled by men - why would they want to change that?
-Poorer countries like those of the Middle East (or at least where there is an extreme separation between the rich and the common folk) are ruled by the rich. They can buy the bullets so they rule by force.
-It is easier to rule your populace if they don't know any other doctrine than what you teach them in your religious teachings and in your state run schools.
Hopefully our current actions in the Middle East can be seen by current and future generations, not as the oppression or control of Islam, but as a vehicle for change to bring some of the more modern ideals to that part of the globe. Demcratic process, equality, more open communication, etc.
The Bill of No Rights
The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance. Robert A. Heinlein
The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance. Robert A. Heinlein