For Christians and Muslims and All

Published on July 11, 2005 By philomedy In Current Events

I saw a quote a little while back, and while I cannot remember where I saw it, and so cannot name my source, the quote has stuck with me. It really doesn't need any explanation, so i'll just hit y'all with it here:

Attention Muslims: Watch out...Your religion is being hijacked by dangerous extremists.
Attention Christians: Ditto.

Comments (Page 1)

Shulamite

on Jul 11, 2005

And therein lies the need for pales of orthodoxy, learned theologists and scholars, and -- even in religion -- a sort of free market place of ideas. Bad ideas being rejected, of course. I think that's how it's always worked in the past, anyway.

Excellent point, though Phil. Very Tounge in cheek -- Alexander Pope would have liked it!

ParaTed2k

on Jul 11, 2005

Dangerous extremists have always been a part of not only religion, but all ideologies. When people decide that people who think or act like them are somehow "better" than anyone else, they can justify anything.

I, for one, am glad that extremists have a voice. The more they speak, the easier it is to identify them and decide for ourselves whether they are worth listening to or not (or even whether we will choose to consider them "extremists" or not).

Reiki-House

on Jul 11, 2005

It's a humerous way to portray something that is not far from the truth. I like that one.

Myrrander

on Jul 11, 2005

The more they speak, the easier it is to identify them and decide for ourselves whether they are worth listening to or not (or even whether we will choose to consider them "extremists" or not).

The problem arises when they feel like speaking isn't enough and take up arms.

Dr Guy

on Jul 12, 2005

The extremist hijacking chrisitanity (which is kind of an oxymoron as Christianity is not a religion, but a collection of religions) are not blowing up planes trains, busses and buildings.

Or did I miss the latest news?

philomedy

on Jul 14, 2005

The extremist hijacking chrisitanity (which is kind of an oxymoron as Christianity is not a religion, but a collection of religions) are not blowing up planes trains, busses and buildings.Or did I miss the latest news?

Yeah, cuz things never escalate, do they? And abortion clinics don't count, nor does killing doctors and patients who visit them, right?

This isn't about comparing extremists, its (hopefully) about becoming aware of extremists before they escalate. It would have been kind of nice to do that with the Muslim extremists before 9/11, don't you think?

Dr Guy

on Jul 14, 2005

This isn't about comparing extremists, its (hopefully) about becoming aware of extremists before they escalate. It would have been kind of nice to do that with the Muslim extremists before 9/11, don't you think?

What do you think WTC 93 was? USS Cole? Embassies in Africa? Achille Lauro? Munich 72?

I think the world has long been aware of muslim extremists. For the most part, they just chose to ignore them.

Gideon MacLeish

on Jul 14, 2005

And abortion clinics don't count, nor does killing doctors and patients who visit them, right?

Fortunately, abortion clinic killings have gone down.

I might add, though, that one of the REASONS they have gone down is a massive, coordinated outcry against such actions by Christian ministers of ALL denominations...something the Muslim community would do well to learn from.

bakerstreet

on Jul 14, 2005

For this to be the case I think you'd have to prove that religion is more radical now. In reality it isn't. Do you think there would have beena prayer of any church in the US accepting gay marriage in the 1950's? Nope.

For all the talk about religion being taken over by radicals, it is less radical, less judgmental, less hateful than in any other time in history. If anything the few hold-outs are just making more noise in response. That doesn't mean they are actually guiding it, because I think it is obvious by the religious tone of the average person they aren't.

philomedy

on Jul 16, 2005

For all the talk about religion being taken over by radicals, it is less radical, less judgmental, less hateful than in any other time in history. If anything the few hold-outs are just making more noise in response. That doesn't mean they are actually guiding it, because I think it is obvious by the religious tone of the average person they aren't.

And yet, there are countless Muslims harrassed by federal agencies for simply being Muslim. And if you ask people to describe an American Christian, you'll get a nicely packaged definition that revolves around being anti-gay and anti-abortion. I agree that the extremists are just making more noise, but it is the loudest among us that manage to get heard...and even if most level headed individuals can sift through the crap, who ever said a majority of this world was level-headed?

Dr Guy

on Jul 18, 2005

And if you ask people to describe an American Christian, you'll get a nicely packaged definition that revolves around being anti-gay and anti-abortion.

You better recheck. I dont think you will get any kind of nice package, and definitely not one like you describe, unless you dig into each sect of Christianity. Then you will get the ones that will be representative of that description, and ones that are 180 degrees in variance.

Island Dog

on Jul 18, 2005

The so-called extremists were a threat before Sept. 11. Has everyone forgotten the first WTC bombing? How about all the other terrorist attacks? The problem is we had two big problems, the escallation of political correctness, and a President who decided islamic terrorists were not a big problem. The war on terrorism should have started years ago, but that's what happens when democrats are in charge.

philomedy

on Jul 23, 2005

Damn...y'all get sensitive when people point out there are extremists amongst you too, don't you? You can get all self-righteous about your extremists being "better" than Muslim ones because they haven't killed mass quantities of people, if thats the way you want to go. I'd rather try to stamp them out on both sides, but whatever. Y'all keep giving me your "But Christian extremists are okay because..." all you want.

drmiler

on Jul 23, 2005

And yet, there are countless Muslims harrassed by federal agencies for simply being Muslim.

Nope! they're being harrassed because not a one will stand up moraly or physically against the extremeists causing the terror. Have there been any who have stood up said, what is being done is wrong? And btw you can find this person at "x"? No you haven't, nor will you. When and if they do, things will change. I just hope this happens "before" some yo-yo decides to set off a hidden suitcase nuke. If they wait till afterwards, Americans will be calling for blood. And there will be a bunch that won't care whether or not the individual was actually involved. Racial profiling will become a lot more than it "already" is and in a big hurry too!

Manopeace

on Jul 23, 2005

Nope! they're being harrassed because not a one will stand up moraly or physically against the extremeists causing the terror.

Thank you for speaking of ALL the Muslims I know that have stood up!
When will the generalisations stop?

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