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What Jonah says here is basically correct. Democracies and Republics are two forms of government. Mixed constitutions and balance of power are an ancient ideas inherited from the Greeks and Romans. But freedom is a gift of God. Westerners crave freedom partly because of the basic influence on their thinking over the centuries of Judaism and Christianity.

Some threads over the past year have pointed out that the religion of Islam leaves no room for freedom. Everything is fated or predetermined by Allah. There's no such thing as free will or free choice. Those are merely ignorant illusions. Islam resembles an extreme form of Calvinism.

Muslims like to have a cushy life, lots of money, plenty of wives, good food, the power to crush their enemies, and such good things. But that's not really freedom, it's an arbitrary gift from Allah or the Sultan. One day on a whim the Sultan may give you riches, the next day on another whim he may execute you. That's why so many Arabic stories are about good luck--people finding genies in bottles, friendly houris, and stuff like that. But there's very little in their stories about choice, freedom, concern for other people, or real merit and virtue, which are found in so many western stories.

But freedom is a gift of God. Westerners crave freedom partly because of the basic influence on their thinking over the centuries of Judaism and Christianity.

Where???

The "Heros" of the bible are made up of kings and tyrannts. Most notably is Mosses whose cruelity and brutality make Saddam look like a pussy cat. The only society in the bible that resembles a free one is the Romans and according to the bible They Were the Bad guys.

Perhaps it would be more correct to say that Westerners crave freedom because of the great effect that the age of enlightenment had on Christianity and Christians.

On the other hand, the age of enlightenment had little effect of Islam or any other religion, except for Judaism. So Muslims stayed mired in the 12th century, Hinduism is mired in its engrained inhumane caste system, etc.

In other words, the effects of the rise of the philosophers in France, the importance of the bourgeois, and the economic changes that capitalism brought were influencing Christianity for the better.

What has impacted Islam in such a positive way?

"Islam resembles an extreme form of Calvinism."

You have better run for cover! The Calvinists find out that you type that, they will flame you! 8-)

Really, that is why I am not a Calvinist, I don't accept that God predetermines people to go to Heaven or Hell. Everyone has a choice. Unfortunately, most people reject God.