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The Terrorists' Motivation: Islam
Capitalism Magazine ^
| July 24, 2005
| Edwin A. Locke
Posted on 07/25/2005 10:24:47 AM PDT by hripka
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To: longshadow
Of all the errors of the terrorists, perhaps their biggest mistake is in giving Islam the sole credit for the glories of their long-vannished golden age. In the West, our history is different. We had a thousand years of Greek and Roman civilization before Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the West.
We had Greek philosophy, Aristotelian logic, Euclidean geometry, Athenian architecture, Roman military and engineering skills, and a thriving superpower civilization, centuries before we had Christianity. So we know from our history that our religion is a complement to our culture; it's very far from being all there is to it.
The Muslim world doesn't have our experience. For them, everything happened at once -- Mohammed's religion, their military successes, and their high culture (largely inspired by the nations they conquered). They think that Islam alone was responsible for their success; so they imagine that Islam alone will restore all that they have lost.
21
posted on
07/25/2005 11:32:24 AM PDT
by
PatrickHenry
(Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas. The List-O-Links is at my homepage.)
To: PatrickHenry
LOL. Bummer. I come to this site because of politics but religion is central to one of our most immediate challenges right now and the topic reveals so much about human nature.
Thanks once again for keeping me pinged.
All the best ....
To: Junior
23
posted on
07/25/2005 11:41:09 AM PDT
by
B Knotts
To: B Knotts
Read some Aquinas. Read some snake-handling Young-Earth-Creationists.
24
posted on
07/25/2005 11:50:26 AM PDT
by
balrog666
(A myth by any other name is still inane.)
To: B Knotts
The individual is not supposed to think independently but to selflessly subordinate himself to the dictates of his religion and its theocratic representatives. We have seen this before in the West--it was called the Dark Ages.This is absolute BS too.
To: balrog666
The author made a blanket statement about all religions; he did not single out "Young Earth Creationists." I am suggesting that the blanket statement is inaccurate, as even a brief perusing of Aquinas will show.
26
posted on
07/25/2005 11:52:40 AM PDT
by
B Knotts
To: B Knotts
You are right, the catholics have the phrase "examine your conscience", for example. The guy is anti-religion, but he's dead on about Islam.
27
posted on
07/25/2005 11:55:23 AM PDT
by
expatpat
To: B Knotts
The author made a blanket statement about all religions; he did not single out "Young Earth Creationists." I am suggesting that the blanket statement is inaccurate, as even a brief perusing of Aquinas will show. Yes, he said "religions" and not "religionists," so to speak. Aquinas is not a religion and therefore not a counterexample.
28
posted on
07/25/2005 11:56:06 AM PDT
by
balrog666
(A myth by any other name is still inane.)
To: expatpat
I have no quarrel with him over the problems with Islam; I only quibble over his attack on religion, generally.
29
posted on
07/25/2005 11:59:57 AM PDT
by
B Knotts
To: balrog666
Obviously, a man (Aquinas) is not a religion. Did you use reason to arrive at that conclusion?
Aquinas has, however, been fairly influential on Christianity and Western Civilization.
30
posted on
07/25/2005 12:01:35 PM PDT
by
B Knotts
To: PatrickHenry
Radical Islamists are 9th century thinkers with 20th century weapons.
31
posted on
07/25/2005 12:02:48 PM PDT
by
45Auto
(Big holes are (almost) always better.)
To: B Knotts
Oh, I did, in one or more of the four philosophy classes I took in college 20 years ago (I thought it'd be a great way to impress girls). Much of Aquinas' reasoning was tied to the Bible, and thus "revealed" knowledge, rather than empiracle data derived through observation and experimentation.
32
posted on
07/25/2005 12:12:55 PM PDT
by
Junior
(Just because the voices in your head tell you to do things doesn't mean you have to listen to them)
To: hripka
First, Islam, like all religions, rejects reason as a means of gaining knowledge and guiding action This combined with a lack of humanity makes for a perfect mess.
33
posted on
07/25/2005 12:13:13 PM PDT
by
Jeff Gordon
(Recall Barbara Boxer)
To: hripka
First, Islam, like all religions, rejects reason as a means of gaining knowledge and guiding action; it holds that all important truths are grasped by faith in supernatural beings and sacred texts.So sayeth the bigot.
34
posted on
07/25/2005 12:16:04 PM PDT
by
jwalsh07
To: scoopscandal
I agree, this author is clearly not a History buff. He seems to still believe popular misconceptions concerning the middle ages. I guess its easier to believer a lie then to re-exam one's entire world view (In this writer's case, I assume "objectivism")
An objectivist calling another religion irrational is pretty amusing though.
To: B Knotts
Aquinas has, however, been fairly influential on Christianity and Western Civilization. Yes, but, just as in the case of every other religion I know, the primary premises of Christianity were not acquired by evidence, logic, or reason.
36
posted on
07/25/2005 12:28:45 PM PDT
by
balrog666
(A myth by any other name is still inane.)
To: balrog666
What kind of evidence do you want? Is your premise that Jesus didn't exist?
To: escapefromboston
What kind of evidence do you want? Is your premise that Jesus didn't exist? Is your "evidence" any better than the "evidence" for Islam or Buddhism or Hinduism or ...
38
posted on
07/25/2005 12:34:13 PM PDT
by
balrog666
(A myth by any other name is still inane.)
To: balrog666
Do you doubt that Jesus was a real person who actually lived? I am not saying that you believe he was the Son of God, but do you believe he was a historical person?
To: etcetera
I said the author was delusional to make the statement quoted in italics.
It is NOT conservatives or conservative Christians who are reluctant to indict Muslims. It is not conservatives who refuste to wake up to the danger. It is leftists, who are either secularists or members of liberal churches.
40
posted on
07/25/2005 12:51:01 PM PDT
by
Cicero
(Marcus Tullius)
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