Most people would be far happier if this 'new found Islamic renaissance' was beginning where it is most important, in the Middle East and other Islamic nations.
In Turkey there appears to be a struggle to keep politics and religion apart which is how it should be.
Any one of any sense, regardless of race, would never want to see fanatics in power.
It is up to people power in their home countries to ensure this. It is not up to Western countries to fight that battle for anyone.

"The theology disciplines do not require careful observation of nature." - anti-green
On the contrary, people with faith can be quite concerned with the same inductive reasoning that you claim all as your own. For instance Newton, one of the 'fathers' of modern science, was a Biblical Christian (and a literalistic one at that). Although it may be a current fad, the dichotomy between science and religion is a false one.

The difference is not in the evidence but in the conclusions we draw from this evidence. Dawkins has the same evidence as does McGrath, and yet their views are polarised.
I find the current schools of thought on evolution to require more faith than a belief in our transcendent God.

I hope your right Ameer,otherwise anti-green and his mates will come up with a nice pill for you to make you 'all better now'.
Literalism is the enemy of thought and of freedom. All the 'one-godders' rely on a literal understanding of their texts for numbers and obedience. Taken at face value many Biblical passages are pretty offensive and many parts of the Quoran are insulting to anyone but the brainwashed. The West has for the most part moved on; and plenty of elements of scietific advancement can be credited to religious adherants and bodies.
Islam needs to be dragged out of its fundamentalist understanding of 7th century writings pronto. A good place to start would be to limit education/brainwashing below the age of puberty;i.e. until a child's analytical abilities have developed.
Personally, I think there is a scarcity of Gods around here- makes people anxious for their own and prone to fight to protect their deity. I'm all for multiple gods;sun,moon, rock'n'roll,the SCG- hell, as many as one wants.
Try it Ameer, you too anti-green, i've fnd it can really brighten the day.

Islam is like every other religion in they breed hatred towards everyone else. The Chinese have the right idea when it comes to religion. Have a no advertising policy much the same as cigarettes because like cigarettes, religion causes a cancer in our society.

Islam promotes public hatred towards anyone who is not a Muslim. Muslim men have to cover there beutiful wives and daughters to stop there own men from raping them. They believe in barbaric punishments of dismembering for stealing, stoning for adultery and many other evil acts are justified. We as a society need guide these poor misguided souls before they convert to Islam or any religion because of a need to fit in, because there family and friends do or because they are evil people looking to hide there own evil tendencies behind religion.

All teachings by every religion were written by men. The Koran was written mainly by the prophet Mohammad who had time to make his prophesies because he was in a relationship with a wealthy lady land owner who looked after him. In every sense a prostitute which in the Koran is punishable by public stoning.

The Bible was written by a number of men over a number of years about the teachings of Jesus and other holy men. It was compiled after the death of Jesus and when converted to English was rewritten twice to suit the monarchies in power to exploit people, control them and more recently to suit the splinter religions to exploit money.

Religion will slowly die as more and more people are disillusioned with the cancer of hatred being bred and the only thing that will keep religion going will be truly evil people intent on not losing the power and money gained from week minded people over the last few millenia.

IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY MY COMMENTS, PLEASE BUILD A BRIDGE

What is the answer then, Boaz, the same as the Nazis had for the Jews, total elimination of a whole people.

It is a fact also that many Germanic Christian bishops also supported the Nazi Party, even the Pope at the time not protesting very much about it at the time.

What I am trying to get across is the true historical story that it was Socratic Reasoning which got Christianity out of the Dark Ages by means of the teachings of liberal Muslims, who when converted had already been influenced by Golden Greek Scientific Reasoning through the influence of Alexander the Great, who had been a student of Aristotle.

Unfortunately, it is our Christian churches who do not like to encourage that the Moslems were generous enough at one time to pass on philosophical reasoning that has been the key to our present democratic and scientific advancement.

Indeed, according to philosophical research which so many of you regard as wasted thought, the key to scientific reasoning which early Islamics passed on to us, has caused the Mullahs to retreat into their own Dark Age, deep misguided faith being their only guide similar to when our early Christians sacked the Great Libary of Alexandria, slaughtering hundreds of liberal Christians, because they believed scientific research was pagan.

This discussion has managed to bring out a new bunch of rabid extremists - the Dawkinite apostles of atheism. Never mind Muslim intolerance, we've got our own homegrown extremists advocating the Stalinesque "eradication" of all religion in favour of atheistic nihilism. Such militant truculence is the antithesis of rationality.

Atheism was brutally imposed on the people of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, but faded fast once the state vehicle of oppression was lifted. Atheist numbers have dropped dramatically throughout former communist nations, and Christian numbers have surged. Just as Eastern Europeans realized, atheism has no more to commend it intellectually than theism.

People like Anti-Green can rant and rave until they start foaming at the mouth, but spewing invective at "believers" does not provide a compelling evidential or philosophical argument for atheism.