much has been said about muslims and iraq but little historical information has been given to understand the context.
context is important in understanding anything especially with regards to conflicts.
islam and the conflict in iraq requires knowledge of at least four different parties with a general understanding of their ideology.. islam was founded around 622 c.e.
This is what happens when British and French diplomats set arbitrary lines down after the Ottoman Empire collapses and attempt to place Hashemite monarchies in their place - a poor attempt to take human agency away from the peoples of the Middle East.
Yes, Empire was a factor, somewhere at the bottom of the list. Sunni and Shiah have been terrorizing each other on and off for centuries.
much has been said about muslims and iraq but little historical information has been given to understand the context.
context is important in understanding anything especially with regards to conflicts.
islam and the conflict in iraq requires knowledge of at least four different parties with a general understanding of their ideology.. islam was founded around 622 c.e.
The more I've looked into the nightmare that is Iraq/Syria, the more I've been impressed with the Kurds. They seem to be making a good go at democracy. They have bravely been fighting ISIS hordes.
You're suggestion, VI, of three separate states makes sense. I can see one major problem: I'm not sure if the Sunnis would be that enthusiastic about wiping out ISIS. If ISIS remained, they would never be satisfied with their allotted area. I believe their motto is 'remaining, expanding' - in other words their borders will always be bloody. As long as they exist, they'll be constantly at war with everyone else.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6e4emx-4k
if you want to use the crusades as a criticism of Chistianity then why can't the current situations be used as a criticism of Islam? - well done, Simon, you've hit the nail on the head.
Imagine a commentary on the crusades using today's touchy-feely PC jargon: 'Christianist millitants have conquered Jerusalem. They called their opponents and ordinary citizens infidels but lovingly gave them a chance to convert. They then slaughtered them afterwards and let God judge them. The christian community feel persecuted because of a possible backlash from this so Governments have set up a helpline. Any prejudice against this community is definitely Christianophobic, and possibly racist, since most Christians are Europeans too. Bigots say that the religion of Christianity needs to be reformed but as we know most christians are peaceful. These crusades have nothing to do with Christianity ...'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6e4emx-4k
I've explained earlier the Meccans were the ones initiating confrontation with the Muslims - this may be so, but in a sense it doesn't matter - extremist Meccan polytheists aren't causing trouble today, extremist muslims are.
What also matters is the Quran, like the Bible, has lots of violent verses. Christianity, with the odd exceptions of lunatic cults like the WTS, has largely reformed. Islam is yet to have a meaningful reformation. There is also no united, central body of clerics. The diverse range of Islamic interpretation is a huge issue considering the violent Quranic verses that can be taken literally. Although most muslims are peaceful and have Islamic interpretations fit for the 21st century, others do not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6e4emx-4k
Jonathan Drake - I agree with you that the majority of muslims don't agree with, or support, ISIS (or the other extremist groups - Al-Nusra Front, Boko Haram, Taliban, Pak Taliban, Al-Shabaab, Al Qaeda, etc.).
Unfortunately enough muslims do, enough to provide a steady flow of jihadists to Syria/Iraq. I've read that the standing army of ISIS could between 35,000 - 50,000 people.
Of course, most muslims' interpretation of the Quran is very different from extremists'. This is a good a place as any for reformation of Islam to start.
naziism had nothing to do with Germans - really?! Hitler annexed Austria (German-speaking), marched into Poland to reclaim areas lost in WWW1 and conquer other areas for Lebensraum, and marched into Czeckoslovakia. He united Sudetenland with Germany because ethnic Germans were the majority there; the rest was for Lebensraum.
Nazi Germany was called Greater Germany (Grossdeutschland). All this had nothing to do with Germans/Germany?
The issue wasn't all of Germany, just the one German - complete b*ll*cks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6e4emx-4k
I don't go along with the gun control analogy - me neither. Simon's German analogy seems better. It's seems obvious to say that Nazism had something to do with Germans, even though not all Germans were Nazis.
Criticising Islam or calling for reformation is in no way attacking muslims as a whole, in the same way that criticising or ridiculing the Catholic church or WTS is not attacking catholics or JWs.
People talk about the fact that there's such a diverse range of Islamic interpretations as if that's something wonderful. I couldn't disagree more. Diversity isn't always 'enriching'. All I want is for Islam to acknowledge its place within Western society, something that is yet to happen.
meditation slows age-related loss of grey matter in the brain, finds a new study.
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150205142951.htm) (see also http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/10/health/can-meditation-really-slow-aging/index.html).
when we eat certain type of food, it shows how it affects our body.
I hope you're not calling me a kunti
But seriously, you're using Eastern beliefs (=Hinduism?) to explain why animals suffer and die?
Whatever Bhagavat Gita says there's no way of testing it, is there?
If I wanted to gather evidence in support of reincarnation, how would I go about that?
meditation slows age-related loss of grey matter in the brain, finds a new study.
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150205142951.htm) (see also http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/10/health/can-meditation-really-slow-aging/index.html).
when we eat certain type of food, it shows how it affects our body.
Abiather - my specific point was that religious people use sin as an explanation for disease, etc. in humans. I don't believe it but I can see where there're coming from. But why in animals? According to the Genesis, they did nothing wrong. Why did God cause/allow animals to suffer?
When humans return to one world one family concept, animal behaviour also will change - two massive assumptions in one sentence.
On this thread, my overall point is that life is more than simply 'amazing' - it's a mixed bag.
meditation slows age-related loss of grey matter in the brain, finds a new study.
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150205142951.htm) (see also http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/10/health/can-meditation-really-slow-aging/index.html).
when we eat certain type of food, it shows how it affects our body.
Abiather - you drone on about there being no 'good' and 'bad' yet a few posts earlier say how 'amazing' the universe and the human body are.
I notice you didn't deal with my examples of disturbing or shocking animal behaviour. I am trying to be an 'objective observer'. My post was simply a reminder that life is a mixed bag, not just 'amazing'.
TBH, I'm not particularly interested in the existence of God. He may or may not exist - I don't know. I'm studying biology at uni and what I am sure of is that belief in intelligent design is nearly impossible to maintain for the 'objective observer'.
meditation slows age-related loss of grey matter in the brain, finds a new study.
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150205142951.htm) (see also http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/10/health/can-meditation-really-slow-aging/index.html).
when we eat certain type of food, it shows how it affects our body.
Abiather - I agree, there are many amazing things about the universe, the natural world and the human body. There are also things that are shocking or depressing.
If I were to ask a religious person about cancer, for example, I might get an answer saying it's due to Man's sin.
But animals suffer from cancer, too. This is not 'amazing'. It is sick.
Consider also, various animal behaviours: rattlesnakes injecting rodents with lethal venom; hyenas selecting a pregnant zebra because the animal can't run away and the developing foetus means more food for the clan; victorious male lions committing infanticide upon takeover of a pride; a parasitic wasp using a caterpillar as a living food source for its young, eagle chicks pushing their weakest sibling out of the nest to reduce competition for food.
All of the above are intellectually stimulating, and make sense when viewed from an evolutionary perspective. But the above examples certainly aren't amazing.
Let's try to be honest - you can't just say 'the world's amazing'. It's a mixed bag.
