I've not been about for the past day or so, and I see that this has kicked on without me.
I'm about to go to bed, and don't have the inclination right now to attack what you've had to say, Dave.
But I have to admit, this:
quote:
Cruel, yes, but understandable.
is a first for me: apologism for the Spanish Inquisition.
And, just because I can't help myself:
quote:
Christian-bashing is quite fashionable, whether or not you have the facts on your side. It is fashionable to label Christianity as repressive and ignorant, and give no credit to the many achievements and benevolent social changes that have risen from Christianity.
It is not only Bible and Koran quotation that back up what I'm saying, but international news of violence and terrorism, violence toward women, and other repression, in virtually every Muslim nation.
All your smug condescension and skewed assumptions about Christianity won't change that.
I would argue that it is the stifling effect of Islam on personal freedom, business and trade that has left the Muslim nations behind the rest of the world.
You'd clearly rather rip on Christianity than address the flaws of Islam.
I personally see no reason to rip into Christianity other than to point out that for every flaw you see in contemporary Islam, Christianity has suffered from similar flaws in its past. Benevolent Christianity is a recent phenomonon. Oppressive Islam is a recent phenomonon. There is no denying that Christian ethics were a factor in Western development. But by the same token, Islam was a factor in the development of the tolerant societies of the Middle East of the Middle Ages.
Further, for every Quranic verse you find which offends you, I can match it with an equivalent verse from the Bible (and certainly the Apocrypha, which was removed from canon by bishops because even they thought some of it was too offensive. I have read one story where a child Jesus calls own angels to rip apart his tormentors).
I'm sorry, Dave, but saying that Islam was born of the sword is ignorant of its origins - if not ignorant, then unreasonably biased or bigoted. If you find any academic, neutral, objective material on the origins of Islam which say anything to the contrary of a peaceful (anything to the left of the Christian Science Monitor), I'll gladly read them.
By "origins" I mean Muhammed, not his successors (many of which were conquest-orientated).
PS East Timor is a Catholic country.
