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To: Cicero
As it happens, love and freedom are interconnected. In Milton's "Paradise Lost," the Archangel Raphael explains to Adam, "Freely we serve, / because we freely love, as in our will / To love or not." Milton drew that insight, probably, from St. Augustine's "Enchiridion." Milton explains that God gives man freedom because He wants to be freely loved, not served by servile slaves or puppets.

Great post, Cicero.

I wonder how many posters here agree with you.

11 posted on 02/07/2005 9:32:13 AM PST by independentmind
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To: independentmind

Actually, it's a fascinating article. He states the basic problem of evangelizing Muslims well, although I believe his suggested solution is wrong. The problem with Muslims is that they are fixated on slavery. Ideally, a Muslim Sultan wants his loyal followers to prostrate themselves before him like slaves, and accept any of his arbitrary decisions like slaves. Ideally, a Christian king wants to be honored as a loving father, and obeyed because he is loved. Bowing to a king may look bad to us free Americans, but nonetheless it's very different from prostrating yourself to a Sultan. We have to break that Muslim mindset that prefers tyranny and slavish obedience to love.

Too bad he started with that remark about the Pope, because frankly it is a red herring that has no discernible bearing on his main argument. Is the Pope the head of Christianity or is he not? Who cares? What does that have to do with the effort of converting Muslims? Sure, it's an important question we could all argue about at some other time, but it really distracts from the main point he is trying to make. Catholics and Protestants can agree that we need to convert Muslims to a better way of thinking, since it would be difficult to kill all of them.


17 posted on 02/07/2005 9:40:27 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: independentmind; All

I verily believe in following Augustine's example. Fornication and libation in excess, add gluttony. Then advise against it, the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak. Hypocrisy canonized.


60 posted on 02/07/2005 11:29:58 AM PST by olde north church (Powerful is the hand that holds the keys to Heaven.)
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