Mark Steyn: The Something They Will Believe In [blue state America, Britain, and Europe]

National Review (via Steynonline) ^ | April 17th 2006 issue | Mark Steyn

[tonycavanagh]

LOL I would not say you are mentally ill or Optimistic perhaps.....

But I think you are someone who will believe what ever is written as long as it fits into your world view even if the article is very short on real factual evidence as this article certainly is.

LOL one day I want to meet Mark Steyn see if he is as tough as he is with his rhetoric, I would bet he will be a weedy little man who after one punch will grovel and weep and apologies for using my country as a whipping boy for him to sell his bull dressed up as analysis.

I know he is a ex theartrical critic.

[George W. Bush]

As for the gals, I was startled in successive weeks to hear from both Dutch and English acquaintances that they’ve begun going out “covered”. The Dutch lady lives in a rough part of Amsterdam and says, when you’re on the street in Islamic garb, the Muslim men smile at you respectfully instead of jeering at you as an infidel whore.

Achmed is smiling because he knows he's won. You've submitted to him and Islam because of fear.

[eureka!]

marking for later

[wideawake]

You've missed the entire point of Steyn's article.

There is no such thing as "total secularism" or a completely blank, contentless culture.

People cannot collaborate on a large scale without a shared consensus on values.

Secularism is a philosophical vacuum and it will eventually be filled up with something - Islam, Christianity, radical socialism, Odinism, or what have you.

And your entire notion of "proper democracy" is ultimately religious in origin.

[Finny]

Of course, everyone is entitled to having a religion, but in the end, everyone will see that its not necessary.

The older I get, the more I am convinced that indeed, religion is as necessary to the success of human civilization as air and water. Shocking and politically incorrect as it is to say so, some religions are better than others, and Christianity is superior if only because within its teachings are the key elements of how human civilizations can thrive -- not just exist, but thrive. Christianity ALONE is why there is no longer slavery in the Western World, and why indeed slavery was so short-lived in the U.S. The ten commandments, the seven deadly sins, the Golden Rule, are so simple. Don't engage in envy (class warfare and what it's doing to America, anyone?). Don't steal. Don't bear false witness. Avoid gluttony and sloth. No matter what, take a day off once a week to count your blessings, etc. etc. If every individual in America attempted to live by these rules, imagine how many "chronic" societal ills would evaporate. But no -- we live in a society that happily engages in envy, lust, anger, avarice, adultery, covetousness. Pop culture and government "entitlement" programs make them accepted and even fashionable!

Morals are taught, not innate. Societies that lack religion are doomed to become advanced "Lord of the Flies" societies. Human sacrifice, slavery, gratification of appetites for cruelty, compassion regarded as weakness. I have a friend who is half indigenous South American. He says he's damned glad the Spanish missionaries ended up down there, otherwise he'd be living in a mud hut in a society that perceived as "normal" things that we have, over the centuries because of religion, come to understand are barbaric and primitive.

As I have gotten older, I have realized how very, very much we "sophisticated" folks have come to take Christianity for granted and arrogantly attribute to our own good sense benefits which in truth have resulted in centuries of adherence to the Christian ethic.

[angkor]

I want to meet Mark Steyn see if he is as tough as he is with his rhetoric, I would bet he will be a weedy little man who after one punch will grovel and weep

Mark Steyn is actually a rather imposing and large-framed fellow. I don't think he'd back down from another Brit of any size.

[NewCenturions]

Bump

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

You seem not to understand what we were talking about.

But for the record the Philippines and Africa have been dealing with Islam longer then the US.

As for large countries taking on Islam, would you consider India to be large?

[Chickensoup]

As for large countries taking on Islam, would you consider India to be large?

I do.

Last time Islam was taken on by India in any meaningful way, they partitioned the country....and the Moslums are STILL fighting.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

You might want to check again. India takes on Islam in a meaningful way rather often