RE: Moderate Islam?
September 10, 2010 at 12:12 pm
(This post was last modified: September 10, 2010 at 12:20 pm by Skipper.)
This is my problem with organised religion, faith isn't the issue, it's organised mass religion. I see no reason to believe in any old book as the word of God, but those who do create a group banded together by a common idea, and when that idea is hijacked and those who hijack it get into a position of power within the religion the "moderates" just seem to go along with it and allow these extremists to gain power that effect people outside the belief system and who want nothing to do with religion and all the ills it brings. All evil needs to flourish is for good people to stand by and do nothing. It happened in the past with Christianity, it happened in Nazi Germany, it happened with Stalin in Soviet Russia and im sure it has happened in countless other points in history where people bound by a common idea or ideal have allowed it to be hijacked and used as a weapon of power and evil that has effected all types of people. So called "moderate" Muslims are the ones who need to stand up and fight the extremists, it's just as much their mess as it was for "moderate" Christians in the past.
You are right in saying it was Christianity in the past who were in the wrong for the way they used their religion, and they still do to an extent now but to their credit in large parts (Note: far from all) of their community they have changed their beliefs and ideals to fit around modern socioty...Gay rights and fairer treatment of women are the two that come to mind. But with Islam I am becoming more and more aware that even the "moderates" have beliefs that are written in stone in the Koran that are incompatible with the way most civilised people wish to live (at least with the life I wish to live). Perhaps due to their seeming unwillingness to not take their book literally (as they see it as the exact word of god), a distinction a fair few Christians allow.
Most "Christian countries" have done well in separating governments/ruling bodies from religion. The same can't be said for Islam. They have countries and communities run on the politicised version of their religion to the word. And as long as that's the case, and the "moderates" don't speak up and claim their religion for themselves there are going to be issues of division and conflict the world over.
Just my thoughts on the matter.
You are right in saying it was Christianity in the past who were in the wrong for the way they used their religion, and they still do to an extent now but to their credit in large parts (Note: far from all) of their community they have changed their beliefs and ideals to fit around modern socioty...Gay rights and fairer treatment of women are the two that come to mind. But with Islam I am becoming more and more aware that even the "moderates" have beliefs that are written in stone in the Koran that are incompatible with the way most civilised people wish to live (at least with the life I wish to live). Perhaps due to their seeming unwillingness to not take their book literally (as they see it as the exact word of god), a distinction a fair few Christians allow.
Most "Christian countries" have done well in separating governments/ruling bodies from religion. The same can't be said for Islam. They have countries and communities run on the politicised version of their religion to the word. And as long as that's the case, and the "moderates" don't speak up and claim their religion for themselves there are going to be issues of division and conflict the world over.
Just my thoughts on the matter.
