[walford]

"Any rational modern thinking person clearly can differentiate the God of Christianity from which western civilization, with its freedoms and personal responsibility has produced, from the Gods of other religions."

It is commonly stated that Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the God of Abraham [some even refer to this triad as Abrahamist].

It is the Westernization that distinguishes Christianity [and Westernized Judaism] from Islam, not the basic tenets. Those have been softened by incorporating Western principles.

http://mason.gmu.edu/~walford/talibanfrance.htm

"Western inquiry and experimentation with limited representative government traces its roots as far back as ancient Greece. The Protestant Reformation then provided the impetus for true democracy to be made real. Martin Luther’s 95 Theses had unintentionally led to a fundamental reconsideration of all authority structures, religious and political. Once the genie was out of the bottle, it was only a matter of time before kings found themselves confronted with subjects demanding their God-given rights. Landed aristocracy soon gave way to market economies.

There is simply no equivalent of this in any other culture. Even in the West, those nations that did not embrace the Reformation were left politically and economically behind..."

[f.Christian]

"For all its faults, "Luther," which opens today nationwide, conveys a great deal of historical information, and now and then it has flashes of real passion. Mr. Ustinov is especially memorable as a canny, titled diplomat navigating a treacherous path between bitterly opposing forces. And the film, photographed by Robert Frazier ("Seven Years in Tibet") on 100 sets in 20 locations throughout Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic, is ravishingly beautiful."

"With religious fundamentalists of every stripe ferociously resisting globalization and modernity, variations of the same primal struggle are still being acted out all over the world. And you are likely to come away from "Luther" with the useful but gloomy realization that the ... movie's essential conflict --- is a never-ending ideological rift programmed into the species."

Martin Luther is a 15th century St Paul - Thomas Jefferson ...

the Reformation was the biggest influence in the founding of the constitution - America ---

no small - ' mean ' matter !

[bondserv]

Does Westernization produce first-rate hospitals, orphanages, and homeless shelters or does Christianity produce these things that have been labeled westernization.

Look at Europe and their westernization without Christianity. It produces unattested abortion, euthanasia, and 10,000 elderly in France who die partially because vacationing health care providers refuse to return to help out.

Who is reaching out to the world to bring the life changing Word of God to shore up the corruption rampant within countries? Muslims? Secular Humanists? Hindus? Buddhists?

Who was captured by the Taliban and held captive in Afghanistan helping the poor women who were being viciously oppressed by Muslim terror? Barbara Streisand? Jane Fonda? Jacque Chirac? Kofi Annan? No.

It was Christians from the last bastion of righteousness left on this planet. God Loving Americans, who are concerned with people's needs here and in eternity. The stories of real sacrifice are endless.

Jesus Christ is the distinguisher.