coach, I had a look at the link you provided. Assuming that the translation is accurate the views given seem similar to those of most other fundamentalist extremists - "Our way is the only true way and everybody better follow it". One of the biggest threats facing mankind in the coming years seems to be the rise of religious fundamentilism.

R0bert

R0bert,

Thanks for watching that clip and welcome back – BTW the translation was quite accurate even if some sarcasm is lost...

We seem to agree about the threat of religious fundamentalism but I think our views and understanding of the situation are somehow construed by our difference in viewpoint.

For me Christianity is my way of understanding life and truth. If I become a fanatic in a secular society – well I’ll be marginalised, criticised, ostracised etc…

But for Islam as you know there is no distinction of state and church. It is all one system.

So when Islam takes hold geographically, it’s the whole system that is at play. Hence their unfitness to tolerate other political and social systems. If it’s not Islamic – well they’ll have to oppose it until it is changed to accommodate their ways...because Islam is unpliable.

Islam is a very public (in your face) faith: public praying, fasting, dress codes, pilgrimage, etc… they are proud to display their religiosity and dare I say impose it on others.

The dilemma is that Islam unlike any other religion cannot co-exist peacefully in secular societies, for the above reasons. Islam can only function within itself and its own set of laws.

Terrorism is just an offshoot of fundamental Islam. Extremism is but an expression of Islamic Jihad – and not an alien behaviour of some - which is a command from their god Allah emulated by their prophet and transcribed in their books.

As you saw in the video clip their leaders truly believe that the world in theirs for the picking.

A far contrast to the teachings of Jesus who said that His kingdom is not from this world…

So when you said: “One of the biggest threats facing mankind in the coming years seems to be the rise of religious fundamentalism”… you should put some distinction on who and what is the threat – not a general “religious” brush over condemnation.

Cheers mate

Coach, So how would you describe the last 700 hundred years or so of christian/colonial occurpation and invasion? Was this not fundamentalism writ large? Or don't you count White Christian modernity as being fundamentalist?

rainer, well said.

coach, I deliberately keep the brush broad. Islamic fundamentalism appears to be a more immediate threat to physical safety than a rise in christian fundamentalism. In terms of the basic freedoms we enjoy in western secular/pluraist democracies though I do believe that there is a significant risk of those freedoms being undermined by the persistant efforts of christian fundamentalists. A significant portion of the discussion about the islamic threat seems to be yet more spin by christain fundies pushing their own barrow combined with some real issues.

A reading of posts on these forum pages (even ignoring what is happening in the real world) provides plenty of evidence of the determination of some christains to impose their religious beliefs on the rest of us.

By and large the christain church may be taking a softly, softly approach right now - church history is too fresh in our minds for a more direct approach to be viable. Instead some christians focus on distorting every issue they can find to show how the world is going downhill and it is all because we don't follow Jesus (regardless of how the lives of those who do look).

Given a different context I have little doubt that the tone of extremist christian propaganda would be just as militant and aggressive as that from extremist islam.

Christain and islamic fundamentalism. Same disease, different strains. We need to guard against both.

R0bert

Rainer,

Not Christian.

RObert,

You did not answer my proposed question - how would secular communities react to the threat of Islam?

By attacking both (or all) religions, you are not resolving the threat of Islam itself.

Remember that the wolf ate the boy at the end of that 'cry wolf' story...

Quotes:

"Christian Fundamentalism: The doctrine that there is an absolutely powerful, infinitely knowledgeable, universe spanning entity that is deeply and personally concerned about my sex life."
[Author Unknown]

"Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of 10 things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these 10 things he has a special place full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry for ever and ever until the end of time...but he loves you."
[George Carlin]

"I am treated as evil by those who feel persecuted because they are not allowed to force me to believe as they do."
[Author unknown]