You still don't get it, do you, Boaz.

>>Fair point Pericles.. '3' (out_of_5_of_course:) but again you actually illustrate the important difference between Islam and Christianity (in the strict doctrinal sense)<<

First of all, the whack-a scale mirrors the Richter. Three is but a minor disturbance in the Force...

But more importantly, can you not see how offensive it is when you pervert a simple point into yet another "Islam is dangerous to your health" rant?

>>If Islam took hold..it would indeed be the end of civilization as we know it<<

So would it be if the Rastafarians "took hold", Boaz. And each is, I'm afraid, as likely as the other.

But neither is going to happen. Trust me on this - the world is becoming less, not more susceptible to religious persuasion, from whatever source.

I know that you personally believe that Christianity will be submerged beneath a horde of scimitar-wielding Saracens, bent on revenge for the Crusades, but that is equally unlikely.

So... if they cannot take over by force of belief, and they cannot take over by force of arms, how exactly is this "taking hold" going to take place?

In the meantime, your attempts to mobilize the forces of anti-Islam by the sheer force of your personal magnetism and persuasive rhetoric can only have the effect of building antagonism against you personally, and by association, your religion.

Your lesson in comparative religion is instructive.

>>We won't hang you from a crane for being gay... We won't tax you at some horrific rate for the blessing of our 'protection' if you choose not to believe<<

On the other hand, you make being gay something to be ashamed of, which is a form of mental cruelty on those gays who want to believe in God. And you are happy to receive tax benefits - which is in effect a tax on non-believers - simply by virtue of being a religious organization.

Not as different as you'd like us to believe, really, are you?

hmm. i guess it was them muslims that done burned all them witches.

Candide,

“There has been much discussion about the legal basis of the capital charge. Some scholars hold that it was not under the law of extortion but under the laws controlling judicial bribery and murder, 'Lex Cornelia de sicariis' and 'ne quis iudicio circumveniretur' or else the 'Lex Iulia de vi publica', which forbade the physical punishment of Roman citizens by a provincial governor (s. 8 n.). M. I.” – (1)

“exilium equitis Romani septemque amicorum eius . . . ultimam poenam . . . arguebatur emisse. Within what limits could a provincial governor inflict corporal or capital punishment, in its various forms, on subjects who were Roman citizens? The Augustan Lex Iulia de vi publica asserted the general right of appeal of Romans in Italy and the provinces from the violence of magistrates: 'qui . . . necaverit necarive iusserit torserit verberaverit condemnaverit inve vincula publica duci iusserit' (Ulpian, Dig. 48. 6. 7; Sent. Paul. 5. 26. 1). So St. Paul invokes his privilege against the sentence of the governor (Acts xvi. 37, xxii. 25, xxv. 9-12). Claudius Aristion is tried by Trajan at Rome for offences in Ephesus, VI. 31. 3, … Later instances of provocatio are recorded under Marcus Aurelius, Dig. 28. 3. 6. 9, A-J III. But Galba, as legate of Tarraconensis, crucified a citizen for murder, ignoring his claim to citizenship, and his action was represented as immodica but not as illegal; the man had hoped merely for a milder form of death-penalty, Suet. Galba 9. I.” – (2)

“Under Hadrian that there began the tendency to assimilate the status of the municipal aristocrats, known as honestiores,to that of Roman citizens by granting them the same immunities, cf. Dig. 48. 19.”

“Only three other high personages are known to have been disgraced in the reign of Trajan. The consular Laberius Maximus, who was involved in political charges, is the only senator known to have suffered the capital punishment of deportatio, X. 74. 1 n.” – (3)

(1), (2) and (3) The Letters of Pliny: A Historical and Social Commentary. Sherwin-White (1966)

Cheers,

O.

Kalweb,

A thoughtful post.

Sells,

Did Jesus commit suicide? Did the Son of Man, with fore-knowledge, of the consequences, bring about his own crucifixation. Is not suicide forbidden under Jewish Law?

[Albeit, Saul committed suicide in 1 Samuel 31... A puzzlement to Rabbis, pehaps.]

Moreover, why would the Son of Man sacrifice himself to God the Father (Yewah) given Hosea 6:6, which reads:

"For I (Yewah) desire mercy (or love), not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings." I do realise Yewah was addressing an unrepentant Israel, yet Jesus is a Jew; was he not?

Please post.

Gibo,

Hi.

Light from the stars? Billions of years in transit, before the creation

Bushbasher,
FYI

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-514433/International-fury-Saudi-Arabias-plans-behead-woman-accused-witch.html

cute. yep, horus, there's some lovely people in the world. and if i'd claimed some universal niceness for self-proclaimed muslims, then you've found a damn good counterexample. of course i didn't, and wouldn't, claim any such thing.

the point is boaz-polycarp wants to attach some special status to christianity. for that, it is insufficient to point to islamic witch-burning: the burden is upon him to explain christian witch-burning.