Rex,
My first question, Ginny:
What type of person on here is consistently attacked besides loyal JWs?Answer: Anyone who stands firm for valid Biblical concepts.
See how you are? You pretend to ask me a question, but you already presume to know the answer. Your answer itself is smug, because you also presume that whatever you happen to believe in at the moment are "valid Biblical concepts."
To answer your question, I would need to know what you consider an "attack." There are many discussions and debates here, and sometimes many people respond and debate with certain posters. If this constitutes an attack, I believe that the type of person who is consistently "attacked" is the type who are self-righteous, hypocritical, condemn others, and presume to know THE Truth or the "one, true way."
The ludicrous lie that "there is no difference between Christianity and Islam at the most basic level" is slanderous in the extreme.
How so, Rex? The two religions begin with the same patriarch, Abraham, and Biblical prophets from Adam and Abraham to Solomon and Jesus are affirmed by the Qur'an.
Islam and Christianity: Similarities and Differences
http://muslim-canada.org/islam_christianity.html#fateha
What you and others here do is constantly use straw man arguments and over-generalizations (crusades, Catholic middle ages).
You asserted that "these fundies will never suicide bomb." I asserted that in Christianity there is no real need, since God himself will do the killing. I mainly asserted that God is a terrorist, an assertion which you have not debated.
Christianity has a history of martyrdom and crusades. This is not a straw man. The point is that historically some fundamentalists have been willing to die for a cause, just as have Islamic fundamentalists. If blaming Christianity for crusades is over-generalizing and unfair, then so is blaming Islam for the behavior of a few fanatics.
You refuse to recognize that each person's spiritual transformation begins at a different level, then you canstigate anyone who doesn't fit your mold of 'what a Christian should be'. Christ is working on people who are from "desperately depraved", up to "pretty nice". But its not about making 'nice persons', for none of us can measure up to His standards. Christ is creating a New Man in all who believe.
In my first response to your post, I did not castigate you personally, Rex. I pointed out what I see as inconsistencies in your outlook.
In my second response, I tried to explain why people may react negatively to your posts. If you presented your message differently, e.g. "This is an answer I've found to be satisfying. Perhaps it could help you, too," without the backlash of condemnation and self-righteousness, I think people would react differently. Sure, people would still question, but I don't think the answers would be quite so harsh.
BTW, when did you last see a whole network of Christian fundy terrorist groups bent on killing innocent people by the thousands?
"It is worth reminding ourselves that extreme Christian fundamentalism breeds its own violent cells of terrorists here at home. According to the Abortion Rights League, there have been 2,500 reported attacks and 55,000 acts of illegal disruption against medical clinics since the late 1970s in the United States."
from http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-091701balzar.column
You can also read about acts of religious terrorism committed by Christian fundamentalists in India, including Baptist missionary Graham Staines:
http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/byauthor/rgopalkrishnan/aortbcfii.html
There's also this:
At the fringe of Evangelism are groups whose enthusiasm for the coming of the messiah ring alarm bells for Israeli law security authorities. Some plan to mount a violent attack at the Temple Mount in order to induce the battle of the end of days, while others have rented apartments in Jerusalem to peacefully await the foretold calamities and the return of Jesus. There are also groups who have declared their intention to commit suicide in Jerusalem prior to the millennium in anticipation of being brought back to life on New Year's Day, 2000. In January 1999, Israeli police arrested members of one such group - the Colorado-based "Concerned Christians" - who were said to be plotting violent attacks on sensitive sites and a mass suicide on the eve of the third millennium. Sending a warning to similarly-intentioned groups, all of the Concerned Christians were deported.from http://www.wjc.org.il/publications/policy_dispatches/pub_dis38.html
Just do a search for "Christian," "fundamentalist," and "violent," and you'll find lots more.
Where did Jesus say, "If they won't convert, YOU are to kill them"? Did Jesus and the apostles rob caravans and murder people?
Jesus trusted that his father would cast people into hell; he and his apostles need not sully their hands. "Convert or die" is the same message whether you do the killing personally or have a celestial hitman, Rex.
Hmmm, every one seems to have been a political or Islamic group. Then we have guys like Shabbaz and Farakahn teaching things like, "kill all Zionists".
I think you know as well as I do that there are Christian groups which promote hate and killing, the Ku Klux Klan for one.
Let's look at some less mentioned groups that promote murder.
Organisations like NOW are partially to blame for millions of dead babies. They have influenced this country and other countries to allow this 'terrorism' of the unborn, who have no political clout.....except for fundamentalist Christians that is.
As I noted above, fundamentalist Christians have attacked medical clinics, killing innocent people. If abortion is terrorism, fundamentalists are fighting terrorism with terrorism.
Hey, I don't blame anyone here but I am not afraid to step on any toes if the situation calls for it. I have not stressed that I am any better than anyone.
Sure you have, Rex. You have implied that you are better than many people, especially those of Islamic faith. Your topic states that people in the religious group with which you're associated will never suicide bomb.
I counter that in religious fundamentalism, you simply leave the killing to God. The terrorist tactics and coercion are still there.
Most Muslims are peaceful; some Muslims are extremists who will kill to advance their beliefs. Most Christians are peaceful; others are extremists who will kill to advance their beliefs. Fanaticism and violence are no strangers to either religion.
Ginny