It is difficult to say one religion promotes violence. They are mutable. Remember all the witch hunts and pogroms against the Jews, as well as the Crusades, promulgated by Christians? And the corruption? Study the history of how the One True Church responded to the Reformation.
Why aren’t Christians still killing witches today? The Reformation. The Enlightenment. We (the West) no longer have One True Church that exerts secular power. Instead, we have dozens of denominations. This has *diluted* the power of Christianity, even though we have one religion, it does not exert centralized authority; the Pope is not in charge of the United States even though the citizenry is majority Christian.
Saudi Arabia is a perfect example of that which I speak. An UNholy alliance between Wahabbist nutjobs and spoiled despotic al Saud royalty that exports terrorism and the spread of extremist Wahabbism. Let’s say instead it was a medieval Kingdom ruled under Christendom. Then, instead of the Fashion Police maybe they’d just go around holding inquisitions, killing witches and Jews. Any better?
Could you say Christianity is violent because the Irish Republican Army killed people and deployed car bombs in the 1970’s and 1980’s when I was growing up?
The Bible is a very violent book, especially the old testament. The death penalty for apostates (those who turn away from their religion) is a common thread between Islam and the Old Testament. Islam needs a Reformation.
Much of it comes down to how it is interpreted and religion’s relation to the (now) secular State. It is ironic that some Islamic States were once MORE tolerant than Christian States in the same period, if you go back in history. Sure, Jews and Christians under Islamic rule had to pay the jiiza, but they weren’t outright executed.
That said, we’d be better off if Islam fragmented into more sects than it has today, thereby diluting the power and control over the State it exerts in some Gulf countries. Even more important, if Islam were divorced from secular government — no more official State religions.
I also don’t mind the immigrants IF THEY WORK. I very much dislike MOST of the POLITICAL refugees, though, because many of them are not working, and have been allowed in just because of civil wars and other conditions. If they had to agree to work within a certain number of months and hold down a job for, say, 80% of the next 5 years, I think that would be a better system than what we have now. Where I live it is very complicated, with multiple waves of immigrants from the Middle East, some of them are very diligent and have started businesses, others have integrated poorly into Western society, so it’s kind of a complex mix. A *very* small proportion are violent jihadists.
I feel comfortable going to the ‘Muslim market’ in my community, where they have the call to prayer played over the loudspeakers. Had some delicious ethnic food last time I was there! And felt perfectly comfortable. I’m not Muslim but I am familiar with the religion and cultures. Nobody was going to knife me. They were drinking coffee, smoking their water pipes at the cafe, and just enjoying themselves.
goodkid43 2 years, 3 months ago.
