The Power of Belief

[Tonus]

After all do you fear the sons of Thor? The fighters of anubis?

I'm more worried about what would happen if they bred.

[Raven]

Raven said: Quote:-You may not be caught up in that crazy right-wing fantasy world, but there are enough who are. Those were who I was referring to, the people who listen to Pam Geller, etc. I was just making the point that as you believe, so shall you act. They believe that, and they act accordingly. We all act according to what it is that we believe, whatever that is. All this Islamophobia is not helping.

Drich said:Smile http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorist_a...facilities
So all of the attacks on US embassies in conjucntion with the recent domestic terror attacks are because of Islam based fear mongering?

Perhaps it would not be so easy to sell fear (That's what a monger is, a peddler of goods) if the majority of the attacks against this country were not carried out by those who fly the flag of that religion.

After all do you fear the sons of Thor? The fighters of anubis? could I sell you on the Idea that a group of radical buddhist monks were bombing subway trains? No?!?! Why do you think that is? Because none of these groups has a long standing record of doing these things. Now what if I replaced Buddhist monks with Islamic extremeists? would you believe that?

Actually, I am a son of Thor. I'm Swedish, and my Viking ancestors had a lot more going for them then you have. Odin and Thor may have been every bit as fictional as your sky-daddy, but they were a lot more fun.

But in all seriousness:

Fifty-six percent of domestic terrorist attacks and plots in the U.S. since 1995 have been perpetrated by right-wing extremists, as compared to 30 percent by ecoterrorists and 12 percent by Islamic extremists. Right-wing extremism has been responsible for the greatest number of terrorist incidents in the U.S. in 13 of the 17 years since the Oklahoma City bombing.

Although current statistics show that right-wing extremism is on the rise through groups like the Sovereign Citizen and Patriot movements, domestic counterterrorism continues to receive few resources and little public attention. Though Islamic extremism remains a significant domestic security threat, current statistics and incidents such as Oklahoma City show that it is far from the only threat. In order to protect American citizens, we need to match our resources to the reality of our threats, not just the politically expedient narratives we have formed.

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/0...homa-city/

So I still maintain that all this Islamophobia is not helping one bit. Is there a threat? Yeah, there is. We also have our own home-grown threats. You are always going to have violent nutjobs of one kind or another. But I do not want to see any group get unfairly declared to be under suspicion just because they pray in a mosque instead of a Christian church. I don't think that you do either.

The city I live in has a fair number of Muslims living in it and that bothers me not at all. Some of my neighbors in my building are. No problem. I'm supposed to be suspicious of them because of their faith? I think not. I have no use for their religion, but that is because I regard all religion as a crock. It's poisonous and we need to get over our need for imaginary deities.

[ideologue08]

So I still maintain that all this Islamophobia is not helping one bit. Is there a threat? Yeah, there is. We also have our own home-grown threats. You are always going to have violent nutjobs of one kind or another. But I do not want to see any group get unfairly declared to be under suspicion just because they pray in a mosque instead of a Christian church. I don't think that you do either.

The city I live in has a fair number of Muslims living in it and that bothers me not at all. Some of my neighbors in my building are. No problem. I'm supposed to be suspicious of them because of their faith? I think not. I have no use for their religion, but that is because I regard all religion as a crock. It's poisonous and we need to get over our need for imaginary deities.

You are talking to someone whose country (the US) has committed more violence than any other nation on the planet in the last century, and he has the audacity to blame desert dwellers for the ills of the world. Sweden is a very progressive, forward-thinking country just like the UK, the people of Sweden are not hillbillies. There's a lot that Americans can learn from us Europeans.

[Raven]

I think that perhaps I'd better make sure that there is no confusion. I'm a Swede, but I was raised in the US since adolescence, and I'm a citizen. Just wanted to make sure no one got the wrong idea. Drich says he's a Southern Baptist, so I presume he's American.

[Minimalist]

Drich says he's a Southern Baptist

And he proves it by his stupidity every goddamn day.

[smax]

Christians, and religious people in general, often say, "It's just my personal belief, you have yours, I have mine."

To that I say, BULLSHIT.

Religious people, in general, aren't willing to accept freedom of belief. If they were, they wouldn't constantly go out of their way to try and force others to practice it. Christians want:

Prayer in school (Christian prayer, that is)
The ten commandments in courtrooms
Christian values upheld in legislation
Wal Mart employees to greet customers with "Merry Christmas" (random example)

Live and let live? I think not.

[Drich]

I think that perhaps I'd better make sure that there is no confusion. I'm a Swede, but I was raised in the US since adolescence, and I'm a citizen. Just wanted to make sure no one got the wrong idea. Drich says he's a Southern Baptist, so I presume he's American.

Actually I am a non denominational biblically based Christian. I am a citizen of Anglo/Asian decent.

[Raven]

I think that perhaps I'd better make sure that there is no confusion. I'm a Swede, but I was raised in the US since adolescence, and I'm a citizen. Just wanted to make sure no one got the wrong idea. Drich says he's a Southern Baptist, so I presume he's American.

Actually I am a non denominational biblically based Christian. I am a citizen of Anglo/Asian decent.

OOps! Sorry about that. Guess I got you confused with GC.