[lilylangtree]

Since Christianity's forerunner is Judaism, then Islam can be rightly called a bastardization of Judaism. That's why crazy islamics hate Jews and Christians because islamics are bastards.

[Mamzelle]

re: Belloc specifically points to widespread indebtedness, usury, slavery, endless Christian theological controversy, heavy imperial taxation and control, and "the tyranny of the lawyers and their charges.")))

Eek--sounds like the here and now...

[2banana]

In the early Middle Ages, the Greek-Roman world of the eastern Mediterranean, Belloc says, had become a "tangle wherein the bulk of men were disappointed and angry and seeking for a solution to the whole group of social strains." Belloc specifically points to widespread indebtedness, usury, slavery, endless Christian theological controversy, heavy imperial taxation and control, and "the tyranny of the lawyers and their charges."

Sounds alot like America today...

[headsonpikes]

Belloc was very prophetic.

I recommend his 'The Servile State' to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of our times.

[eastsider]

F.Y.I.

[headsonpikes]

I think of Belloc as a sort of Edwardian Orwell. ;^)

[livius]

Islam is a syncretist religion that took elements of Judaism, elements of Christianity, and elements of paganism and fused them into one horrible insane egomaniacal vision.

[DoctorMichael]

Bttt

[txzman]

Muslims themselves do not know the 150+ year gap between Muhammad's 'visions' influenced by his stays with Arab Jews and Coptic Christians while on the run.

There is no 'unique' religion of allah - it is an amalgamation of Judaic and Christian teaching. Muhammad could not understand why there was not a specific 'Arab' God.

Which is why for 18 months Muhammad had his follwers, while taking refuge in Medina, bowed down and prayed to Jerusalem. (Karen Armstrong's book easy, great read).

What? You do not know these things? Do not feel bad, even those who consider themselves devout Muslims do not know.

[Snuffington]

In the 1930s he wrote "The Great Heresies," a history of what Belloc, a Catholic, deemed the five main heresies since the advent of Christianity. In the second slot, between Arianism (fourth century) and Albigensianism (12th-13th centuries), he put "The Great and Enduring Heresy of Mohammed."

In case anyone is interested, this is public domain stuff, and is available on the Web in several places. Here is one: The Great Heresies by Hilaire Belloc

[The_Reader_David]

Belloc was not the originator of the critique of Islam as a Christian heresy. St. John of Damascus, who was intimately familiar with Islam, living as he did in the Caliphate (in one of those brief periods when Islam really was tolerant--although a Christian he was the equivalent of Lord Chamberlain or Prime Minister to the Caliph), wrote the first Christian critique of Islam, and regarded it as a heresy rather than a proper seperate (false) religion.

[TheCrusader]

Belloc was a brilliant man and probably the greatest historian of the last 150 years. His concern that Islam would once again rise to power and threaten the West was born more from his knowledge of history than from any 'prophetic' ability. He understood well that Islam had temporarily been eclipsed by Western technological superiority, but that it had never been extinguished. Any firefighter knows that you must not let a single ember burn, else it will flare up again. Unfortunately, the likes of Belloc have been replaced by modern revisionist 'historians' hell bent on trashing Christianity and saddling white males with a guilt complex.

[EUPHORIC]

Aside from being an excellent source of emergency bathroom hygenic paper The Quran is nothing more then Satan's instruction book to his minions.

[what's up]

Most likely it was the fertile ground of Arianism which allowed for the rapid spread of Islam.

Arians struggled with the concept of the Trinity; therefore, Islam with its denial of the Godhead was easily absorbed.

[Steve_Seattle]

Belloc was an interesting character and an engaging writer - there are few Catholics left like him - but his scholarship is often criticized by left-leaning Catholics, among others. Since Mohammed was never a Christian to begin with, I'm not sure it is helpful to call Islam a Christian heresy. However, there were Christians at the time of Mohammed who took the same view as Belloc.

[NYer]

In the early Middle Ages, the Greek-Roman world of the eastern Mediterranean, Belloc says, had become a "tangle wherein the bulk of men were disappointed and angry and seeking for a solution to the whole group of social strains." Belloc specifically points to widespread indebtedness, usury, slavery, endless Christian theological controversy, heavy imperial taxation and control, and "the tyranny of the lawyers and their charges."

As the French would say - The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list

[js1138]

Indiana Jones never trusted Belloc.

[TexanToTheCore]

bttt