Sorry but if a Christian is "brainwashed" into acting violently or supporting violence for their religion I'd likely consider them to be an extremist(the same as the other extremists),.. regardless of their previous orientation,..... Prior to "brainwashing"

 

First of all, what I said had nothing to do with Christians.

 

Secondly, anyone who is brainwashed is an extremist. I simply pointed out that terrorists have been recruiting people through that method for a long time.

First of all, what I said had nothing to do with Christians.

 

Secondly, anyone who is brainwashed is an extremist. I simply pointed out that terrorists have been recruiting people through that method for a long time.

 

 

Then why not say recruit instead of "brainwash", and I'm pretty sure that it's not a small portion of extremist that're using these tactics. I think it's the majority, if not, then they're pretty cruddy extremists.

First of all, what I said had nothing to do with Christians.

 

Secondly, anyone who is brainwashed is an extremist. I simply pointed out that terrorists have been recruiting people through that method for a long time.

 

Isn't everyone "brainwashed?" Muslims believe their way is right, christians believe their way is right, and history majors believe that everyones going to heaven, but they tend to want to tick off christians more because it's a free country and they would not be allowed to say these things in most of the muslim world. That, and/or they are rebelling against all christians because one or two "done them dirty" in some sort of way in the past. Everyone has become crybabies. I think the real culprit here is the emo generation with their buckets of tears songs.

Isn't everyone "brainwashed?" Muslims believe their way is right, christians believe their way is right, and history majors believe that everyones going to heaven, but they tend to want to tick off christians more because it's a free country and they would not be allowed to say these things in most of the muslim world. That, and/or they are rebelling against all christians because one or two "done them dirty" in some sort of way in the past. Everyone has become crybabies. I think the real culprit here is the emo generation with their buckets of tears songs.

 

When I said brainwashed, I meant brainwashed to believe that killing others simply because they disagree is okay. Anyone who is brainwashed and convinced to believe that is an extremist.

 

I was saying that extremists have been using that tactic to recruit people. Convince them that they have to do kill in order to get to heaven, or kill in order to receive their prize in heaven...those people are terrorists. That doesn't mean every Muslim is though.

Islam is not a religion of peace. There are peaceful Muslims but their religion deserves no credit for making them peaceful.

 

Dr. Hassan Khater: "Muhammad said in his Hadith: 'The Hour [of Resurrection] will not arrive until you fight the Jews and the rock and the tree will say: O Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!'

 

"The Prophet said: the Resurrection will not take place until the Muslims fight the Jews, and the Muslims kill them. The Muslims will kill the Jews, rejoice [in it], rejoice in Allah's victory. The Muslims will kill the Jews, and he will hide... "The Prophet said: the Jews will hide behind the rock and tree, and the rock and tree will say: oh servant of Allah, oh Muslim this is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!" - Palestinians: "Gaza withdrawal is victory for Islam". Major and Dangerous Campaigns Of hate Against the Jews!!

I'm not going to pretend to have a knowledge of either the Muslim or Islamic religions that those who believe them do. But, I have been fortunate to study them to a better-than-average degree, and the good fortune to know quite a few Muslim and Islamic people pretty well. Like all religions and causes, I find that there are a radical element in each, but that most within those religions are a peaceful people with a sense of morality and ethics that is enviable in this day.

Most in any religion seem to be able to mesh the basics of their beliefs with tolerance for others. In this case though, it seems that one of the basics calling for a great and abundant life is in direct conflict with reality. As long as we have what appears to be a lopsided portion of the world's wealth - wealth that their basic beliefs say they are entitled to - then how can it not eventually become violent? Our assets make us the "infidels" keeping from them what is rightfully theirs.

 

Education can only go so far, because it is more about economics than ignorance. If the roles were reversed and our assets were shipped to the Middle East and we lived "third world", it would be hard to convince us that God no longer intended Christians to have "life more abundant" as stated in the Bible. We would likely believe that the taking of the assets was wrong and against God's will for us and, therefore, likely be willing to fight for it, especially if we could find parts of our beliefs that openly advocated the killing of such infidels.

 

 

I agree 1000%. The radical element have an infinite supply of uneducated people with little hope. The way to stop terrorism is through education. Education and economic improvement to put a serious dent in extreme poverty would do much more to deplete the terrorists of their ranks than bombs and bullets.

Isn't everyone "brainwashed?" Muslims believe their way is right, christians believe their way is right, and history majors believe that everyones going to heaven, but they tend to want to tick off christians more because it's a free country and they would not be allowed to say these things in most of the muslim world. That, and/or they are rebelling against all christians because one or two "done them dirty" in some sort of way in the past. Everyone has become crybabies. I think the real culprit here is the emo generation with their buckets of tears songs.

 

 

 

Please, elaborate on the bolded.

Islam is not a religion of peace. There are peaceful Muslims but their religion deserves no credit for making them peaceful.

 

Can we not take the same words out of the Old Testament and use them to portray Jews as a warring, violent people who came in and took a land others were living on?

Can we not take the same words out of the Old Testament and use them to portray Jews as a warring, violent people who came in and took a land others were living on?

Where is the Islamic equivalent of the New Testament? Where are the words of Jesus Himself exhorting his followers to commit genocide? Where are the examples of Jews targeting peaceful Muslims to gain entry into Heaven?

 

I do not buy the moral equivalency arguments that are made to absolve Islam's role in terrorism. There are good, decent Muslims who ignore some of the violent teachings of Mohammed, but those who take his words literally seem to constitute a fairly large minority (in the best case).

 

Mohammed won converts at the edge of a sword and demanded that his followers follow his lead. Jesus set an entirely different kind of example and articulated a much different set of expectations of his followers.

 

I am not a Biblical or Koranic scholar, so please correct me where I am wrong. Islam and Christianity share the Old Testament as sacred books. What seems to be missing from Islam is a peaceful counterpart to the New Testament.

 

The existence of peaceful moderate Muslims is not proof that Islam is a peaceful religion, just as the existence of a few crazy abortion clinic bombers does not establish Christianity as a violent religion. The frequency with which terrorism is employed in the name of Islam cannot be ignored.

I agree 1000%. The radical element have an infinite supply of uneducated people with little hope. The way to stop terrorism is through education. Education and economic improvement to put a serious dent in extreme poverty would do much more to deplete the terrorists of their ranks than bombs and bullets.

I agree to some extent, but poverty and ignorance are not the source of evil. To many radical Islamists, education and prosperity just allows them to acquire more effective tools of terror.

 

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for example, has a PhD. in engineering. Mohamed Atta, suspected mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, had a degree in architecture and later studied urban planning in Germany.

 

I do not agree that education and prosperity are substitutes for bullets and bombs in the war on terrorism. All are valuable tools that should be used to eradicate terrorism.

Isn't everyone "brainwashed?" Muslims believe their way is right, christians believe their way is right, and history majors believe that everyones going to heaven, but they tend to want to tick off christians more because it's a free country and they would not be allowed to say these things in most of the muslim world. That, and/or they are rebelling against all christians because one or two "done them dirty" in some sort of way in the past. Everyone has become crybabies. I think the real culprit here is the emo generation with their buckets of tears songs.

 

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

Classic!

Isn't everyone "brainwashed?" Muslims believe their way is right, christians believe their way is right, and history majors believe that everyones going to heaven, but they tend to want to tick off christians more because it's a free country and they would not be allowed to say these things in most of the muslim world. That, and/or they are rebelling against all christians because one or two "done them dirty" in some sort of way in the past. Everyone has become crybabies. I think the real culprit here is the emo generation with their buckets of tears songs.

 

 

Guess you have a real problem with Christians who study history and just want to be "honest" with the realities. I try to approach my faith on the honesty that understands that just because someone has said they are acting in the name of God, doesn't necessarily mean it's so.

Please, elaborate on the bolded.

 

I meant it exactly as printed.

I meant it exactly as printed.

 

 

Okay... so in your gross misrepresentation of those of us who study history you claim that we:

 

believe that everyones going to heaven, but they tend to want to tick off christians more because it's a free country and they would not be allowed to say these things in most of the muslim world. That, and/or they are rebelling against all christians because one or two "done them dirty" in some sort of way in the past. Everyone has become crybabies. I think the real culprit here is the emo generation with their buckets of tears songs.

 

I'm sorry but where in the freaking world do you come up with that crap? Let me just sit here as Evidence A to disprove your little theory here.

 

I have a degree in History and Secondary Education. Thus, PepRock was a history major at one point in time. Have I, at any point in time, ever seemed particularly intent on ticking off Christians? Being Catholic myself I think it is pretty obvious where I stand on that. I don't look at anyone as clean in history, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, etc.. I treat history as amorally as possible. I put no right or wrong on it. And you will find that there are many like me in that regard. You just have that view because there are some that like to get their names out there by being contrary to long standing and accepted beliefs.

 

I do believe in a full account of history with as many details on any and every side showing their greatness, triumphs, flaws and horrible mistakes. Christianity has had them, Judaism has had them and Islam has had them. I try my utmost to operate in a moral vacuum when studying history in order to avoid bias as best I can. I fully recognize however that being Catholic and having been raised in a society that is largely based on Judeo-Christian precepts that my view is likely to be skewed in that direction and in favor of those values.

 

I hate the demonization and deification that we tend towards in history though. Treating the founding fathers almost as though they are demi-gods bothers me. They were brilliant men and pioneering men; but lord knows they were far from perfect. On the other side of the coin Hitler was a terrible beast of a human being, but he was great with dogs.