Is Islam at Fault?

by Kinsman 6 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Kinsman

  Greetings,

  Even in these early days of the 21st century it’s still politically correct to say; …‘Islam is not to blame’; …‘Religion is not to blame’; …‘Religion in general produces good not bad’, …‘Religion is only from time to time perverted by ruthless and depraved individuals’; …‘These individuals are the ‘evil’ within religion not the basic religious tenants common in all of mankind’s great faith-based traditions’.

  President Bush himself states that Islam has been ‘hijacked’ by a few extremists, and that Islam itself and the Muslim people are a peace-loving people supported and encouraged by a peace-loving religion. Many argue that religion is the primary motivator and even cause of ‘good’ in human society.

  Is that true? Or are our religions simply a reflection of our own basic attributes; thus endowed with both ‘good’ and ‘evil’ as we ourselves are; if so; it is individual humans themselves that are inherently ‘good’ not their religions or deities. Moreover, is there something about religion that promotes, condones or ideologically endorses terrorism? Is it a fundamental aspect of religion, or simply a perverted interpretation as Bush would have us to believe?

  I offer the following link if you’re interested in exploring this subject further.

  Kind Regards – Kinsman

  <a href=" http://capitalismmagazine.com/2001/october/wr_islam_fault.htm
• 

  Francois

  Personally, I think it's fundamentalism that's to blame. Everywhere. And today fundamentalism is everywhere on the march. And where it's on the march, the opposite of its basic religious tenents has been prostituted.

  If you examine the JWs, fundamentalist to the core, against the real and obvious teachings of the Master, you will find the same kinds of prostitution and bastardization of his teachings that sear the soul out of every religious philosophy on earth.

  It ain't the religions; it's the fundamentalist ruination of religion.

  IMHO

  Francois
• 

  Kinsman

  Hi Francois,

  Thanks for your comments. If you actually read the article; …you will find that the author actually agrees with ‘some’ of your hypothesis, …however the author utilizes the phrase “Thorough Religiousness” in a way that is synoptically equivalent to your use of the term “fundamentalism”. Nonetheless, to find that the basic fundamental premise of ‘mainstream’ religion is non suspect; and beyond dispute; is simply expressing ignorance the four major tenants of all of mankind’s religions, that the article discusses in some detail. I would recommend that you actually read the article and come back for some more detailed discussion of the presented points.

  Kind Regards – Tim
• 

  heathen

  islam is nothing more than a twisted cult that is forced
  on the people of the middle east in that thier government
  enforces the ideals of the koran in secular law .It is
  so simular to when the catholic church had political power
  in europe ,there is no tolerance for other religions and they
  even fight amongst themselves for control of the populace.I
  like to compare it to the catholics and protestants of Ireland.
  personally I have no love for thier culture or religion.they
  are very barbaric and centuries behind in education .to answer
  your question I would say islam is at fault ,in my opinion
  it is no more valid than mythology and although I didn't read
  solmon rushdey satanic verses I would say from the title that
  he was on the right track.
• 

  ISP

  Nope.........

  Hey the same things happen in Christianity.

  ISP
• 

  JanH

  When I attended the first lecture in the history of religions course, which actually persuaded me to drop (normal) history and follow this study instead, I was very impressed with the reasoning of the professor giving the lecture (some years later, she became my supervison when I did my MA thesis). One thing I will always remember, is how she pointed out the error of those who say that fundamentalist Islam is not "the real Islam". Naturally, fundamentalist Islam is as much a part of "the real Islam" as e.g. Sufism.

  There are one billion Muslems in the world. Islam is at least as complex as Christianity, and it has traditions going back into the barbaric past when the "holy" books like the Bible or the Quran were written. I think good people are able to take the good parts of their religion and use it for good. Bad people take the bad parts and use them to justify their own evil. That said, it is disturbingly easy to take any of these traditions and use them to support evil acts and practices. It's hard to get around the fact that e.g. the view of women in Islam is outragously suppressive and evil.

  - Jan
  --
  "Doctor how can you diagnose someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and then act like I had some choice about barging in here right now?" -- As Good As It Gets
• 

  Kinsman

  Hi Heathen,

  Thanks for your post. Nonetheless, Islam is much more than a ‘twisted cult’ as you suggest. It is a “mainstream” and predominate religion of mankind encompassing more population than professed Christians. I wish it were on the fringe of humanity but that is simply not factual.

  Kind Regards - Tim