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To: yankeedame

Islam can be reformed, but won't be reformed till the Islamic upper echelon find it in their interest to reform.

Remember, Martin Luther didn't bring on the Reformation out of whole cloth. It was encouraged, protected, supported, defended, etc. by Germany rulers who were fed up with seeing riverlets of gold and silver flowing south, out of their lands and straight to Rome.



Very good point in your seocnd paragraph. I might quibble with what you said in your first paragraph. Seems like the analogy would be that in time we may see secular muslim states grow up - the obvious example was what Ataturk did in Turkey (although things seem to be sliding backwards in that regard now). Secular leaders like Ataturk, it seems to me to be the analogue of the German rulers you mentioned that encouraged Luther.

The key difference here is the cult-like, mafia-like behavior of our adversaries. If you rise to offer secular solutions or programs you stand a good chance of getting killed and all of your followers getting killed. Seems like one of our tasks is to go after the mafia dons that enforce this brutal discipline. If we do this, (and it's going to take a very long time) it seems like we have a decent chance of getting real reform but it may take many generations.

Seems like one of the eternal struggles of human history is how to achieve the proper balance between church and state. The two extremes i.e theocracy on the one hand and our post-modern ultra-secularism on the other hand each have their problems.


47 posted on 01/24/2006 7:50:29 AM PST by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten (Is your problem ignorance or apathy? I don't know and I don't care.)
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To: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
the obvious example was what Ataturk did in Turkey (although things seem to be sliding backwards in that regard now). Secular leaders like Ataturk, it seems to me to be the analogue of the German rulers you mentioned that encouraged Luther.

Yes, Ataturk, uhm, how many christians are still living in Turkey btw? Oh yeah, 0.2% of the population is mostly Christian (Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic (Gregorian), Syriac Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Protestants), Jewish, Bahá'ís, and the Yezidis. Yes, Turkey's suppose secular system that has made many discrepancies against non Muslem properties title which enabled Turkish authorities to seize them. Hmmm, very telling, IMO. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I still complains as to why the Turkish government will not re-open the Halki seminary, which had trained Orthodox clergy in Anatolia since the 19th century.

TURKEY’S GREEK COMMUNITY GRAPPLES WITH ADVERSITY

But they can build their Mosques and religious centers without any issues in the West. Dearborn, MI has a freaken minaret, for Godsake, where the Muslem call to prayer can be heard everywhere in metropolitan Detroit but these muzzies won't open a school to train Orthodox clergy, which existed for thousands of years before they ever did....and they are suppose to be the "secular" ones? Unfreaken believable:

Mosque Prayers Irk Michigan City

48 posted on 01/24/2006 5:11:28 PM PST by apro
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