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Are Judaism and Christianity as Violent as Islam?
http://www.meforum.org/2159/are-judaism-and-christianity-as-violent-as-islam ^ | Raymond Ibrahim

Posted on 06/08/2009 11:04:36 AM PDT by ventanax5

“There is far more violence in the Bible than in the Qur’an; the idea that Islam imposed itself by the sword is a Western fiction, fabricated during the time of the Crusades when, in fact, it was Western Christians who were fighting brutal holy wars against Islam.” So announces former nun and self-professed “freelance monotheist,” Karen Armstrong. This quote sums up the single most influential argument currently serving to deflect the accusation that Islam is inherently violent and intolerant: All monotheistic religions, proponents of such an argument say, and not just Islam, have their fair share of violent and intolerant scriptures, as well as bloody histories. Thus, whenever Islam’s sacred scriptures — the Qur’an first, followed by the reports on the words and deeds of Muhammad (the Hadith) — are highlighted as demonstrative of the religion’s innate bellicosity, the immediate rejoinder is that other scriptures, specifically those of Judeo-Christianity, are as riddled with violent passages. …

(Excerpt) Read more at meforum.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bible; christian; hebrews; islam; israel; jihad; judaism; oldtestament; religion; violence
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins
Yes, the Nazis were polytheists, seeking to install the "old" religion. They had no love of Christianty:



"She belongs to the church she belongs to Satan. Both are lost to the German race."
101 posted on 06/08/2009 1:10:52 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins

“Make me believe.”

You presume I care.


102 posted on 06/08/2009 1:12:43 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: rom; swarthyguy
But you see God doesn't need an origin...

Thanks for posting that!

You see, this is the equivalent stumbling block for Theists, as is the one that stumps Atheists: What is our origin?

Theists merely created this imaginary idol of God so that they can give a stop-gap filler of an answer to the riddle, albeit the wrong one.

103 posted on 06/08/2009 1:12:52 PM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: Jewbacca

Really, you can’t “make me believe” if I choose not to.

However, when someone seeks the light, God will provide the info necessary to find Him. Bibles have been known to fall from windows at people’s feet shortly after making this decision.

Again, the decision has to be made first.

Jeremiah 29:13
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.


104 posted on 06/08/2009 1:15:54 PM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, save Bowman for later)
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins

Well, until you solve the problem of creation — I humbly submit that you should not label yourself as an atheist. Because all of the evidence of creation points to a singularity.

And it’s not a stumbling block for Theists — because God tells us that His nature is not the same as His creation’s.


105 posted on 06/08/2009 1:17:11 PM PDT by rom (Obama '12 slogan: Let's keep on hopin'!)
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To: rom
And we all know that those things are wrong.

We all know those things are wrong because they shred the fabric of the single-most important weapon we have to face the hazards of competitive life on this planet: Human society. Mankind has merely used the idea of God to keep this weapon as durable as possible, albeit in an indirect way.

But if one realizes the essence of this truth, then the concept of God is no longer needed, as an ideological crutch. The direct reality instantly becomes evident.

106 posted on 06/08/2009 1:19:05 PM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: Jewbacca

No. You presume you can.


107 posted on 06/08/2009 1:19:33 PM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: Jewbacca

A. Your picture didn’t load.

B. Who voted the NAZIS in?

C. You haven’t convinced anyone of the polytheistic beliefs of the NAZIS.


108 posted on 06/08/2009 1:22:41 PM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins

Because a religion that teaches us to lay down our life for your enemy — gives it a competitive advantage to one that says kill the infidel.

The religion that says all life is precious and that it is important to help those who have no chance at contributing to society stay alive — because they are made in God’s image, gives us an advantage.

The religion that says that you must pray and bless those that persecute you — gives you an advantage. You are in my prayers, why should I take the time out to pray for you if it slows me down?


109 posted on 06/08/2009 1:26:41 PM PDT by rom (Obama '12 slogan: Let's keep on hopin'!)
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To: rom
Because all of the evidence of creation points to a singularity.

Tell me how 6 billion humans can descend out of two, and yet, cousins marrying today produces birth defects in their offspring at a very high frequency.

Also, what about a cyclical universe? _____ >< .....-----*****-----....._____ >< .....-----***** etc.

And it’s not a stumbling block for Theists

Oh, yes it is! You're just attempting to explain it with a God cure-all.

110 posted on 06/08/2009 1:28:38 PM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins

A cyclic universe is nonsensical if the universe has always existed — because the laws of thermodynamics would ensure that the amount of energy in an infinitely existing universe would be 0.


111 posted on 06/08/2009 1:31:43 PM PDT by rom (Obama '12 slogan: Let's keep on hopin'!)
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To: rom
Because a religion that teaches us to lay down our life for your enemy — gives it a competitive advantage to one that says kill the infidel.

 

 

 

That man I love! Who, unto friend and foe
Keeping an equal heart, with equal mind
Bears shame and glory, with an equal peace
Takes heat and cold, pleasure and pain; abides
Quit of desires, hears praise or calumny
In passionless restraint, unmoved by each,
Linked by no ties to earth, steadfast in Me,
That man I love! But most of all I love
Those happy ones to whom ’tis life to live
In single fervid faith and love unseeing,
Eating the blessèd Amrit of my Being!


- Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter XII, lines 59-69.

 

The religion that says all life is precious and that it is important to help those who have no chance at contributing to society stay alive — because they are made in God’s image, gives us an advantage.

 

 

 

        Wherever, Indian Prince!
Life is—of moving things, or things unmoved,
Plant or still seed—know, what is there hath grown
By bond of Matter and of Spirit: Know
He sees indeed who sees in all alike
The living, lordly Soul; the Soul Supreme,
Imperishable amid the Perishing:
For, whoso thus beholds, in every place,
In every form, the same, one, Living Lord,
Doth no more wrongfulness unto himself,
But goes the highest road which brings to bliss.
Seeing, he sees, indeed, who sees that works
Are Nature’s wont, for Soul to use, not love,
Acting, yet not the actor; sees the mass
Of separate living things—each of its kind—
Issue from One, and blend again to One.

The Soul’s light shineth pure in every place;
And they who, by such eye of wisdom see
How matter, and what deals with it, divide;
And how the Spirit and the flesh have strife,
These wise ones go the way which leads to Life!



- Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter XIII, lines 95-110
& lines 121-125.

 

The religion that says that you must pray and bless those that persecute you — gives you an advantage. You are in my prayers, why should I take the time out to pray for you if it slows me down?

 

 

 

I am alike for all! I know not hate,
I know not favor! What is made is Mine!
But them that worship Me with love, I love;
They are in Me, and I in them!

 

        Nay, Prince!
If one of evil life turn in his thought
Straightly to Me, count him amidst the good;
He hath the highway chosen; he shall grow
Righteous ere long; he shall attain that peace
Which changes not. Thou Prince of India!
Be certain none can perish, trusting Me!
O Prithâ’s Son! whoso will turn to Me,
Though they be born from the very womb of Sin,
Woman or man; sprung of the Vaisya caste
Or lowly disregarded Sudra,—all
Plant foot upon the highest path; how then
The holy Brahmans my Royal Saints?
Ah! ye who into this ill world are come—
Fleeting and false—set your faith fast on Me!
Fix heart and thought on Me! Adore Me! Bring
Offerings to Me! Make Me prostrations! Make
Me your supremest joy! and, undivided,
Unto My rest your spirits shall be guided.

 

- Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter IX, lines 113-135.

 

 

 

Which religion, again?

112 posted on 06/08/2009 1:44:44 PM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins

The polytheistic bend of the Nazis is so well-known, only the intentionally ignorant ignore it.

No one voted the Nazis in, btw. Learn basic history.


113 posted on 06/08/2009 1:45:10 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: rom
A cyclic universe is nonsensical if the universe has always existed — because the laws of thermodynamics would ensure that the amount of energy in an infinitely existing universe would be 0.

Could you please elaborate?

114 posted on 06/08/2009 1:45:34 PM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: Jewbacca
No one voted the Nazis in, btw. Learn basic history.

"Free elections in 1932 under Germany’s Weimar Republic made the National Socialist German Workers' Party the largest parliamentary faction; no similar party in any country at that time had achieved comparable electoral success."

115 posted on 06/08/2009 1:50:24 PM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: Jewbacca
The polytheistic bend of the Nazis is so well-known, only the intentionally ignorant ignore it.

You keep going around in circles. Name the deities.

116 posted on 06/08/2009 1:51:23 PM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins

Name the deities? Who cares?


117 posted on 06/08/2009 1:55:18 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins

This is simplistic stuff...

The two original humans, created before the fall, were physically perfect and their genes contained all the information necessary to produce all the variation we see today. After the Fall, the corruption allowed mutations and gene drift that cause the problems today.

A cyclical universe would require that the rate of observed expansion be slowing instead of accelerating, which is what astronomers are currently seeing.


118 posted on 06/08/2009 1:55:18 PM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, save Bowman for later)
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To: Jewbacca

The Nazis were into some pagan stuff - Witchcraft, etc, in pursuit of supernatural power to expand their earthly power.


119 posted on 06/08/2009 1:56:50 PM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, save Bowman for later)
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins

Basically, there is always energy lost in any work and is not 100% efficient (such as in the fusion reaction of a star, energy lost in an engine due to friction, etc...)

Therefore the universe is always losing potential energy (you’ll probably know this as entropy). So an infinitely existing Universe would be expected to have 0 energy left in it. Since our Universe doesn’t have 0 energy, it has not always existed.

Interestingly enough, the Bible states that our Universe is subject to decay (entropy).


120 posted on 06/08/2009 1:56:54 PM PDT by rom (Obama '12 slogan: Let's keep on hopin'!)
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