Re: purple
Fundamentalist Christianity has shown itself to be far more bloody and oppressive than Islam has ever been. If I had to live under one it would be Islamic fundamentalism. The thing is that Christian fundamentalism of equivalent extremism to the Islamic form that OBL and his followers espouse hasn't been around since 1692 when the Salem witch trials took place!
Early Christianity had plenty of failings, and it resembled fundamentalist Islam far too closely for most peoples comfort in this more 'enlightened' age.
But Christianity turned a corner in the 17th century with the Reformation.
The old certainties and ideologies gave way to a new set of principals:
– Religious freedom.
– Liberty of conscience.
– Free enterprise.
– Lex Rex (the rule of law).
– Separation of powers.
– Constitutionally limited republics.
Meanwhile Islam still labours under the ideolgies that Christianity and The Secular West threw off 300 years ago.
There has been no Reformation of Islam. It still adheres to the principals and practices laid down by a nomadic Arab in the year 650AD.
Take a look at that list of Reformation principals and tell me honestly which Islamic nation subscribes to them?
Iran?
Saudi Arabia?
If you want to live in a society which still has witch trials, and stonings, and beheadings as scripturally dictated punishment...just move to Saudi Arabia, the spiritual centre of Islam.
The verdict for the female apostate (or WITCH) is the same as for the male.
She must be called on to return to Islam for three days, prior to her death...
Furthermore, the Prophet said, "It is good if she repents.
If she does not, she is to be killed, since by apostasy she should be treated like a woman who has fought against Muslims, being taken captive in a holy war (jihad); thus it is lawful to kill her with the sword.
Moreover, her guilt is far more abominable than women who are taken captive in a holy war,(?...Margaret Hassan...?) since she has become a Muslim."
Islamic Text on Apostasy
At this very moment a female contributor to the films of Theo Van Gogh (recently murdered in Holland for insulting Islam) is under an Islamists death threat for her apostasy from Islam.
Many of my friends (male and female) have given up their Catholic faith, but I've yet to hear the local preist order the faithful to cut off their heads for their apostasy from Christianity.
In actual fact, I can't find any punishment in the Bible for apostasy, except to risk losing ones hopes of entering the kingdom of Heaven.
The fact that OBL's form of totalitarianism is Islamic is irrelevant.
Irrelevant? OBLs Totalitarian Ideology
is ISLAM. How more relevant can it get?
If someone was trying to impose Oliver Cromwell's form of Christianity I would be just as opposed to it.
So would I! But who is?
Who in the Christian world is trying to impose Christianity by force?
Both your quotes display a fiendishly clever use of language to put spin to an argument. Naughty naughty!
Once science escaped from the under the shadow of superstition, er I mean religion, the course was set that would take the western world into the age of enlightenment and reason.
I would fight and kill to keep us there.
Judging by recent developments in Holland, you may well soon have your chance.
Who do you think you'll be fighting? Suicidal Christian fundamentalists?
Clubman, that first link is interesting, but theres too much info there to read in the time I have.
Can you precis the point?
The second link is to a book I haven't read, so again I can't comment on it.