I don't agree with the author that Islam itself is at the root of all the current radical terrorism in the world.

Religion, or beliefs in invisible gods, doesn't 'cause' violence, human beings do that, and no one group of humans can hold the moral high ground as far as violence goes.

We ALL have violence in our own past ancestral history, and many suffer violence-infested lives today. Greed, power and money are at the root of all violence

We need to denounce violence in whatever, and in whomever, form it takes.

I don't agree with the author that Islam itself is at the root of all the current radical terrorism in the world. - Suseonline

Islam preaches it is the one and only true religion for all mankind; all other religions are false. The word of Allah must be spread throughout the world to give everyone a chance, those that don't convert are infidels. Death to Infidels.

No other religion or religious group is committing terrorism and threatening world order. No other religious group is breeding like rabbits and intending to conquer the world one way or another.

What are you not getting Suse? If it were not for Islam the current situation would not exist.

Hi Suse,

"We need to denounce violence in whatever, and in whomever, form it takes."

Yes, we need to denounce ideologies which are predicated on violence, on death and destruction as presumed pathways to paradise. But of course, people also need to protect themselves from cults of death and destruction, in order to restore as much as possible their former, peaceful lives, and for that, it is quite proper for them to take up arms. What alternative could they have if they want to keep their heads on their shoulders ?

We come back to it: What values are we opposing ? What values do we support ? i.e. now, today, in 2015. Yes, we should uphold the values of tolerance provided those we tolerate are also tolerant. We need to strengthen unity and inclusiveness across the diversity of Australians, and we need to uphold the rule of law and equality for all, regardless of gender, etc. We need to strengthen a culture of life, of equality and of peace.

And we need the courage to condemn brutality, murder and destruction where it takes place, i.e. now, today, in 2015. We must oppose always a culture of death and destruction, of barbarism and brutality, no matter what book its adherents may resort to justify their vileness.

Joe

Joe if only the world was perfect, we looked after each other with compassion and love, what a perfect world, it ain't, we have people, men women and children starving in countries, we have religions that promote breeding just to keep themselves in power over their blind to see religious peasants, when visiting Nepal some years back it was more of concern of the people to place gold leaf on a temple than feed yourself, if you think like that owing to your religion then starve, do not cry poverty, we also have religious and slight of hand wars like the USA, stealth being its aim, we have people living in mansions and castles all having the same body attributes and functions as the poor, why do the poor worship these monied people, film-stars, singers, sport-stars, do they not realise they are keeping these people in la la land of the monied gentry.
Stated in this morning's paper, which is true, preachers on all sides justify barbarity as performing the will of "God", It's time we consigned religion to the anthropological dustbin, the Hateful Bible (Joshua 6-21), (numbers 31-37-18) as quoted, although not following directly, given the chance we will follow the likes of Isis and blow people to bits to control the world just like them.

phanto: Your quote: "It is simplistic because it gives credence to religion as being a logical and reasonable argument for doing anything. Religion is never logical or reasonable." is only partly true. To us, Islam is based on false premises but it is not illogical.

Islam is very well reasoned and sometimes perfectly logical. This is mainly why they are so dangerous. The Islamic scholars apply structured reasoning all the time to determine the proper way to act. This is why, for example, ISIS destroy ancient statues when they conquer new territory because according to Islam it is forbidden for anyone to try to much the creation of Allah hence logically as a consequence all statues must be destroyed. Here is a discussion on this subject: http://islamqa.info/en/7222, as you can see it has the form of a well constructed argument. It is not a collection ambiguous unconnected statements (like many people here often produce).

Here is another example which has even stricter logic (with a bit of work it may well qualify as a "valid" logic argument in the modern sense of mathematical logic if written out in logic symbols): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJv7s0eytMM (start 10:00 - he uses rational argument to prove the existence of god)

Also, in case you haven't noticed, quite a few of these radical Islamic terrorist are highly educated. eg: one of the 9/11 mob was an Engineer not an uneducated illiterate, another example closer to home is the Australian Doctor that just joined ISIS.

So the Islamic problem that we have is not they are stupid and don't make rational arguments (ie: start with premises then apply logic to derive conclusions). The problem is with the premises that they start arguing from. Their initial foundational beliefs are ridiculous to you and me. In other words, their perceived reality simply doesn't correspond with ours.

thinkabit is this the real reason for the problems in the Middle East or are there other reasons, such as oil wells, poverty and displacement of its citizens?, we must never look one way on the problems of the world, people and Governments always create problems for each other, believing in any religion for a start does not show that you are thinking with your head, the invisible God or Allah, where are they, only in your mind, if this stupidity is entrenched with killing then killing you will do, likewise another says, no contraception, breed like rabbits, so we do not use contraception, do not accept another persons blood and so on, stupidity is in all religions, but how on earth do you stop this nonsense, perhaps you can tell me?.
Having thought about the world as a whole it is purely based on lies, the bigger the lie the gullible will most certainly follow