MC Junglitachi Magic Wand
09-11-2002, 06:17 PM
This is something I have been pondering ever since the thought came to me while picking weeds in a field near the garbage dump while working for Labor Ready.
We can talk on and on about the "millions of peaceful Muslims in the world," but it won't change what Muslim governments and terrorists do. As far as I know, 95% of the world's Muslims ARE peaceful - the only two Islamic guys I've ever known were peaceful Engineering students who took some damn good footage of the debauchery at WSU's 2001-2002 courtyard parties. But the fact remains that most Muslim COUNTRIES sponsor or support terrorism, and let people get away with other crimes (think Saudi Arabia and kidnappings). Why is this?
Islam never underwent a reformation the same way Christianity did. The reformation is what brought us the concept of a government seperate from the church, and basically allowed governmental systems other than Feudalism and Monarchy to begin to exist. Muslims haven't done that, so the governments are often fundamentalist Islam (or even non-fundamentalist Islam) and the law is written in accordance only to the holy book.
One of the things I wonder though is this: Christianity started in -3 B.C. with the birth of Jesus Christ. However, Islam has only been around since what - 720 A.D.? If you look at it that way, where was Christianity 700 years ago?
As I recall it, 700 years ago Christians were crusading all over the place slaughtering Jews and Muslims for not being Christians and looting their villages. The church controlled the land. It wasn't the Roman Empire - it was the HOLY Roman Empire - and the Vatican was calling the shots.
Fast forward to 2002, and we have the whole idea of seperation of church and state, and a religion in which people can disagree with elders or government figures freely.
Here, then, is the question: Are the fundamentalist, warlike properties of Islam simply a byproduct of its relative immaturity? (relative, as compared with Christianity, Judaism, Buddhaism, etc). In 2700 A.D., are Muslims going to be as peaceful as Christians are? Post your thoughts.
We can talk on and on about the "millions of peaceful Muslims in the world," but it won't change what Muslim governments and terrorists do. As far as I know, 95% of the world's Muslims ARE peaceful - the only two Islamic guys I've ever known were peaceful Engineering students who took some damn good footage of the debauchery at WSU's 2001-2002 courtyard parties. But the fact remains that most Muslim COUNTRIES sponsor or support terrorism, and let people get away with other crimes (think Saudi Arabia and kidnappings). Why is this?
Islam never underwent a reformation the same way Christianity did. The reformation is what brought us the concept of a government seperate from the church, and basically allowed governmental systems other than Feudalism and Monarchy to begin to exist. Muslims haven't done that, so the governments are often fundamentalist Islam (or even non-fundamentalist Islam) and the law is written in accordance only to the holy book.
One of the things I wonder though is this: Christianity started in -3 B.C. with the birth of Jesus Christ. However, Islam has only been around since what - 720 A.D.? If you look at it that way, where was Christianity 700 years ago?
As I recall it, 700 years ago Christians were crusading all over the place slaughtering Jews and Muslims for not being Christians and looting their villages. The church controlled the land. It wasn't the Roman Empire - it was the HOLY Roman Empire - and the Vatican was calling the shots.
Fast forward to 2002, and we have the whole idea of seperation of church and state, and a religion in which people can disagree with elders or government figures freely.
Here, then, is the question: Are the fundamentalist, warlike properties of Islam simply a byproduct of its relative immaturity? (relative, as compared with Christianity, Judaism, Buddhaism, etc). In 2700 A.D., are Muslims going to be as peaceful as Christians are? Post your thoughts.