Is it needs a leader, a central figure... without that, it acts like an unruly mob.. some parts respect the law, other parts just kick off...

I think that's true.

(October 5, 2014 at 5:52 pm)lifesagift Wrote: Is it needs a leader, a central figure... without that, it acts like an unruly mob.. some parts respect the law, other parts just kick off...

Remember, Christianity went through this centuries ago.

The problem here is that they are doing what the Christians did but with 21st century weapons.

Part of the problem, also, as far as I'm concerned, is the fact that many are not just divided on religious lines but tribal lines as well.

H. L. Mencken made this observation:

Quote: “The trouble with Communism is the Communists, just as the trouble with Christianity is the Christians.”

Easily extended to islam.

I have no problem with submission to God.

I just refuse to submit to the people who claim to speak for God.

If God needs me to do anything, It can pick up the phone and speak to me directly.

(October 5, 2014 at 5:58 pm)Beccs Wrote: Part of the problem, also, as far as I'm concerned, is the fact that many are not just divided on religious lines but tribal lines as well.

Well, Christians were, too.

(October 5, 2014 at 5:52 pm)lifesagift Wrote: Is it needs a leader, a central figure... without that, it acts like an unruly mob.. some parts respect the law, other parts just kick off...

A central figure arising out of a mob like that is unlikely to make Islam less repulsive than what the unruly mob had made it.

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(October 5, 2014 at 6:56 pm)Minimalist Wrote: H. L. Mencken made this observation:

Quote: “The trouble with Communism is the Communists, just as the trouble with Christianity is the Christians.”

Easily extended to islam.

I would think while the first so called christians might have been the original trouble with Christianity, christians itself is a big part of the trouble with latter day christianis.

The same with Islam.

Mencken was dealing with 1920's xtians.

Just as we are dealing with 13th century muslims.

I think Christianity has been the problem with christians since about 16th century.

Islam has been the main problem with muslim commsurately more recently, say around middle of twentieth century.

Bat shit fundie xtianity came into its own in the late 19th/early 20th century. When the shitheads sing about "That Old Time Religion" they are really only looking back about 20 years!

The fundie Wahabists in Islam date from the mid 18th century. Granted, the Sufists, like al-Ghazali, put the screws to scientific thought in Baghdad in the 13th century.