Posted on 04/15/2013 7:19:13 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
New York Times best-selling author Robert Spencer investigates areas where Christians and Muslims fundamentally disagree.
Do Christians and Muslims agree on the issue of abortion?
Many Christians know they have some theological differences with Muslims, but still look at Islam as a valuable ally in a world increasingly threatened by secularism and immorality. Sure, we may not agree on every detail, they think, but isn’t it better to focus on what we have in common, so that we can fight moral and cultural battles together?
This idea may be more popular than ever, but it is a “dangerous illusion,” says author Robert Spencer in his latest book, Not Peace but a Sword: The Great Chasm Between Christianity and Islam. We may live in an age of dialogue and “bridge-building,” but the differences between Christianity and Islam are so profound—not just in religious doctrine but in moral precepts—that the chances for any meaningful cooperation are slim at best. And the false hope for such cooperation, moreover, puts Christians at a perilous disadvantage in their dealings with followers of “the Prophet.”
Take, for example, the fight against abortion. At recent United Nations conferences, where the forces of the Culture of Death were pushing their global abortion agenda, attempts by the Vatican and Christian groups to forge a pro-life, pro-family coalition with Muslim nations failed. Why? Because Islam does not view the unborn’s right to life as absolute and inviolate. As Spencer explains, many of its schools of jurisprudence permit abortion up to various stages of fetal development (based on crude ensoulment theories found in the Qu’ran). And even after those stages, Islam generally does not view abortion as a grave evil tantamount to murder. Accordingly, Muslim scholars discourage cultural or political pro-life activism.
“In light of all this,” Spencer adds, “it is hard to understand why the idea is so widespread among conservative Catholics that Muslims would make good partners for action on life issues. In reality, the Islamic moral schema differs so sharply from the Catholic one that they have hardly any common ground at all.”
As this unique and important book explains in detail, abortion isn’t the only area where a “great chasm” divides Christianity and Islam. Similar gulfs exist between their teachings on sexual morality, marriage and divorce, women’s rights, and of course (as the plight of oppressed Middle Eastern Christians attests) religious freedom. Our theological differences are likewise not mere quibbles about small details, but fundamental divisions over the nature of God, divine revelation, salvation—divisions that some Christians want to wish away but Muslims never forget, as they proselytize under the guise of “interreligious dialogue.”
This is something which is fairly obvious: that female public near-nakedness has no bearing on basic human rights. And as for dignity --- as distinguished from rights per se--- it suggests a general trivialization of sexuality, in our culture, certainly. Perhaps not so in other cultures --- southern Sudan, say, or Burkina Faso --- where most people of both sexes and all ages are generally near-naked.
Even there, it has no correlation with women's rights.
Abortion is ‘’illegal’’ among a culture that that has sex with children, mutilates a woman’s vagina, sells children and women into chattel and sexual slavery? Of course abortion would be illegal among such a bunch sadistic moral idiots.After all, where else are you going to get more children and women for the market? Madame, I once was a liberal and a fierce advocate of abortion on demand at any stage in a pregnancy. That is until my sisters and later my sisters-in-law and my daughter-in-law made their ‘’reproductive choice’’and choose, in some cases having to lie flat on their backs in bed for the last three months with their uterus stapled together so that they could bring life into the world and in the process I became and uncle and a grandfather. Abortion will never cease because we are humans and we are imperfect, I know I certainly am.. I also understand that abortion is a sometimes necessary medical procedure. But the height of infuriating hypocrisy is to listen to a 7th. century cult of death-worshipping troglodytes condemn abortion and who glorify a murdering, demon obsessed pedophile along with a chorus of useful moral idiots is more then I can stand. Hypocrisy certainly is the homage vice pays to virtue. Among other things it smacks of self-righteousness and self-righteousness is just a phony form of respectability.
Of course Muslims don’t care about abortion. It’s not THEIR women having them. Easier to take over the world when you have fewer people to fight.
As for female genital mutilation, most Muslim nations do not practice it (LINK); and in nations (mostly north-east and north-central Africa) where it is common, it is found in specific tribal subcultures regardless of religion (e.g. Muslim and polytheist/animist).
Genital mutilation is done in this country, too, mostly under the auspices of transsexual surgery.
You have not demonstrated where the hypocrisy comes in, with respect to the articles posted. Austin Ruse simply notes, from decades of experience, that many Muslim U.N. diplomats will vote against the Planned Parenthood/abortion/LGBT agenda; most diplomats from historically-Christian nations will not. In fact, it is the post-Christian West which most aggressively promotes abortion and sodomy globally.
Does this say "Islam is great"? No. It says that the baby-killing, gender-twisted program of the post-Christian West is so depraved, that in some cases it's mainly Muslim diplomats who can be counted on to oppose it.
Re-read Austin Ruse for what he does, and does not say..
I think you’re (mostly) right that the Muslims don’t much care if the post-Christian West contracepts, aborts, and buggers itself out of existence.
Unfortunately, they don’t believe in it enough to have aborted themselves out of existence.
Which "they"? Americans? Muslims? The post-Christian West?
Outstanding. Islam was the birth of all modern evil. There is not and has never been, a moderate Islam. Never. Equivocation is cultural suicide. Islam kills, every last human being.
Humble thanks. ‘’Moderate Islam’’. Anyone ever stop and think that if the bloody religion were so peaceful, why then the need for ‘’moderation’’? Wouldn’t that make the argument it isn’t peaceful?
Makes ya wonder, don’t it?
I said you hadn't "demonstrated hypocrisy with respect to the articles posted."
Please try to read whole sentences.
Mr. Ruse's “opinions” notwithstanding, that a few muslims are perhaps our 20% friends and not our 100% enemies is hardly reason to embrace them with open arms or to think that they are our true friends or even our allies.
Islam is Satan's religion. All muslims do gravely objective evil when they practice their verminous, demonic religion.
Like Nazism and Communism, two of Islam's pale imitators, Islam must be eradicated. We shouldn't deceive ourselves in trying to get them to “play nice.”
sitetest
You’re still not responding to what I actually said, but what you have wildly extrapolated. This conversation is indeed, as you say, over.
I have seen people pro-life rallies self identifying (either by signage or by distinctive garb) as Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Orthodox, Episcopalians, other Protestants, other Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Atheists.
No mohammedans.
Mr. Ruse's “experiences” are anomalous, and thus lead to poorly-informed opinions. As well, he reads into his "experiences" what he wants to experience, rather than coldly observing what is true.
The muslims are NOT reliable allies. As your initial article points out, muslims are all over the map on the question of abortion, and although most muslims reject homosexual behavior, large numbers of muslim men, especially the powerful ones, especially the ones in the most “traditional” societies, engage in homosexual acts, often as a form of dominating “lesser” men.
Getting in bed with these savages, even on a limited basis, even only to fight abortion and the homosexual agenda, is very dangerous. We should not deceive ourselves that we are making friends with the barbarians, or that we are winning their hearts.
For those who make that foolish, stupid assertion, show me the long line of converts away from the satanic cult of Islam from the ranks of these barbarian diplomats.
sitetest
Getting in bed with these savages, even on a limited basis, even only to fight abortion and the homosexual agenda, is very dangerous. We should not deceive ourselves that we are making friends with the barbarians, or that we are winning their hearts.
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I could not agree more.
No, What I'm saying is that Muslims will stone their Females if they are not properly dressed...I will believe they are for womens rights when they can wear bikinis... not the BERKAS on the beach...
Yes, even here are a famous beach, the Muslims females are wrapped up like a mummy.
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