EARTH vs. ISLAM

[La Dolce Vita]

As for the OP, and the overall discussion:

Is Islam a problem? Yes! The doctrines and philosophy causes and/or is used to excuse/command a lot of human suffering it would otherwise be hard to find justification for. Though all religions are problematic, yes, even the ones promoting peace Islam is currently the religion causing the most amount of damage.

Is Islam the biggest problem in the world? Hardly. What about poverty? What about hunger? What about lack of pure drinking water? What about essentially every government in the world lying and being corrupt to one degree or another? And there are a lot of categories like "intrusive governments" or "lack of education", etc. that would just as easily take a lot of the blame for the problems caused in Islamic countries that many will connect to the religion no matter what. This is a very complex picture, and there are a lot of different factors contributing to terrible situations all around the world.

Should Islam be fought? Yes! Intelectually rather than militarily of course. You can't shoot an idea, and ideology wise Islam is far more lucid than say Nazism. There are legions of muslim moderates, or muslims almost just in name only no more dangerous or problematic than Christian, Jewish, etc. moderates. But then I didn't say we should fight muslims, I said we should fight Islam, and then I am speaking of the doctrines within Islam. They need to be destroyed intelectually, and Islam need to see a broader moderation, just like Christianity in the west. And this will probably not be that far away. In say 50-100 years when the quality of life and resources in Islam-dominated countries are increased they are likely to follow the same model we have seen time and time again everywhere else. Education, questioning and opportunity are the key.

[Shiranu]

I don't think your reading skills are up to par. I'll repeat: can you name me one smart Turk? Dude, I can't simplifly more than this. You can extrapolate all you want from that question, but that's just your little brain which can't seem to process the right info.

I don't think YOUR reading skills are up to par. I'll repeat: Your question is one based on bigotry and faulty reasoning, and as such has zero reason to be treated with any legitimacy. I can't simplify it any more than this. You can cry about that all you want, but it's your arrogance and your bigotry that cant seem to process this info.

But I will ask again: What gives your bigoted question anymore credibility than asking me to prove that blacks are not all ghetto, uneducated gang bangers or all Italians or Jersey Shore, fist pumping wops?

@La Dolce Vita: Good post.

[josephpalazzo]

I don't think your reading skills are up to par. I'll repeat: can you name me one smart Turk? Dude, I can't simplifly more than this. You can extrapolate all you want from that question, but that's just your little brain which can't seem to process the right info.

I don't think YOUR reading skills are up to par. I'll repeat: Your question is one based on bigotry and faulty reasoning, and as such has zero reason to be treated with any legitimacy. I can't simplify it any more than this. You can cry about that all you want, but it's your arrogance and your bigotry that cant seem to process this info.

But I will ask again: What gives your bigoted question anymore credibility than asking me to prove that blacks are not all ghetto, uneducated gang bangers or all Italians or Jersey Shore, fist pumping wops?

I ask you a simple question, then you go off on a tangent with wild speculation. You need to look at your own crazy stuff. Sorry, but you need to see a shrink.

[Shiranu]

Your question is inherently both flawed and bigoted, but instead of being a man and accepting it you throw a hissy-fit and act like a 10 year old who can't get his way.

There is no speculation in this, this is not a tangent; you propose a flawed argument that is by its nature bigoted, then there is no obligation for me to answer it. This doesn't therefor prove you are correct, it simply shows your question is wrong.

[aitm]

but we don't have a religion/culture that actively, willingly and openly treat the raped women with such distain as moslem countries.

We did, through the first half of the 20th century.  Any rape victim who pressed the matter with the police had to face almost as bad a situation as many Muslim women do today.  If they weren't married or widowed or virgins when they were raped, it wasn't considered such a bad thing, since the woman was obviously of dubious moral character.  If she dressed provocatively (which could mean a skirt 1/2" shorter than someone thought was appropriate), she was asking for it.  If the "rapist" was her husband it wasn't rape, since a husband had the "right" to have sex with his wife.

About the only thing we didn't do was imprison or kill rape victims.

Oh! I thought we were talking about current events. My fault.

[Jmpty]

A list of the worlds top twenty intellectuals. #1 and #4 are from, ah, Turkey.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2 ... s?page=0,0

[aitm]

A list of the worlds top twenty intellectuals. #1 and #4 are from, ah, Turkey.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2 ... s?page=0,0

I am ......sure...that that is a ...er....perfectly reasonable list.

wait a minute...Al gore and Steven Colbert on the list? Ah, tis a joke....you silly you.

[Shiranu]

I don't get it... Al Gore definitely belongs there and Colbert is certainly an amazing satirist, which requires a high amount of intelligence.

[aitm]

I doubt very much that that list has anything to do with the ACTUAL top 20 intellectuals of the world. I doubt that any of those are actually on the list.

[Shiranu]

I doubt very much that that list has anything to do with the ACTUAL top 20 intellectuals of the world. I doubt that any of those are actually on the list.

I doubt very much that that list has anything to do with the ACTUAL top 20 intellectuals of the world. I doubt that any of those are actually on the list.

I will agree with you there, but there are two more examples of Turkish intellectuals he will dismiss because all Turks are evil idiots.

[aitm]

Shir, if there was a way of actually finding the top 20 I would hold that the world probably has never heard of any of them. The world is a popularity contest. I can imagine there are hundreds of true genius's that we will never know of.

[Jmpty]

Maybe you should actually read the article.

[aitm]

Maybe you should actually read the article.

Maybe you should. It most certainly is not a list of the worlds top intellectuals. It is a list of people who gathered enough votes to put them on a list called "top intellectuals".  Still though, I think it is a piece by the Onion.

[Jmpty]

Maybe you should actually read the article.

Maybe you should. It most certainly is not a list of the worlds top intellectuals. It is a list of people who gathered enough votes to put them on a list called "top intellectuals".  Still though, I think it is a piece by the Onion.

Not enough westerners on the list for you, I guess, as we all know that the west is the center of the universe. Did you happen to see the top 100 list that was mentioned in the article? Another Onion list?

[Aroura33]

Where have you been? The Turkish government has actively lobbied dozens of countries not to pass any resolution to officially recognize the Armenian genocide.

By that logic, the US people support everything the US government pushes through as well.

I mean; the turkish people are at least protesting their government, while the US people take their government's commands up the ass without a peep. :)

I read the whole thread, and although there are lots of things I wanted to respond to, I think it is safer (for me), if I refrain.

I just wanted to comment on this one thing though.  Americans ARE protesting our government, in droves!  The Occupy Movement (which is often about economics, but can be about anything, is generally anti-war), is just being ignored by our own media, and therefore most other media as well.

Living near Portland Oregon, I've seen hundreds, and once over a thousand people marching in the streets with anti-war, anti-big business, or anti-whatever-the-hell-they are-mad-at-our-government-about protest signs, and recently, and for more than a year now.  It is just that....it isn't doing anything because our media seems to be controlled mostly by our government now, or something.

Just wanted to clarify that, many Americans are actively protesting our government's actions.  I do wish it were more, though. :-?