Dear examinator,

'Number Five is alive...'

You're into input.

Whereas '(I've Had) The Time of My life.'

'Nobody puts Baby in the corner!'
(Dirty Dancing).

Did you ever see, 'Metropolis,' ?

Just curious.

I am sure that your intervention is well intended, Katie. Well, almost.

>>I thought I could address Pericles’ bewilderment as to why Sura 9 has a special relevance (to Poly, if not to this discussion).<<

I am far from "bewildered" as to why bloody Surah bloody 9 has relevance to Boaz.

It provides him with material with which he can sustain his perpetual animosity against people who believe in a religious system that is not his own. And use this to further his campaign of vilification against Muslims, whom he would have us believe are about to murder us all in our beds.

My concern is not with the text, it's provenance or its adherents, but the fact that it is used to manufacture an image of an enemy that will stop at nothing to subjugate the world.

From the standpoint of logic, I find it frustrating that all the arguments are self-fulfilling and circular. An extract from a text is displayed for us, an explanation is provided (that this foreshadows our doom as a civilization), and when questioned - hey presto! - we are referred back to the text, as if we are some moronic cave-dwellers.

It goes like this.

Let 'a' represent bloody Surah bloody 9, and 'b' the imminent demise of the civilized world.

Boaz's hypothesis can be stated as:

a = b,

for which the proof is...

b = a

It is a stance that, apart from anything else, I find both arrogant and insulting. Which is possibly why I occasionally become a little heated.

Fundamentally our disagreement centres on the fact that Boaz believes implicitly in the power of ancient scriptures to rule every aspect of our twentyfirst century lives.

I don't.

Pericles:

"Boaz's hypothesis can be stated as: a = b,

for which the proof is...b = a"

...in which 'a' = animosity and ' = bulldust.

"Your own views towards various other faiths (particularly Islam) are among the most villifying I have seen on OLO. It is difficult to take you seriously when there is such marked hypocrisy."

Dear Pelican... actually.. I'm not sure if you can accept this, but.. it's really simple.

The Quran...CURSES Christians Jews BY NAME.. and...FOR...their core beliefs.(as understood by Mohammad at the time of writing.
9:30 Please read this.

How do you construe 'exposing' vilification as an act of 'vilification'?

Pericles has it quite wrong. He seems to still have the persistant view that I'm simply criticizing Islam JUST because they "believe differently from us"....

NO....NO....NO.. How many times must I repeat.. My approach usually is to show what Islam SAYS about Christians..and to show by contemporary and historical events how dangerous this is/can be.

My comments are as vilifying as a witness testifying to plain truth.
Feel free to explore the massacre of the Armenians and Assyrians by Muslims in recent history to persuade you of this fact. I've had it explained and underlined to my face by a Saudi Missionary in MELBOURNE Last June...exactly as I describe it to you mob.

Buddhists and Hindus believe 'differently' from us also.. so why do I focus on Islam? *think*

Dear Fractelle..
yes, traditions change.. or more accurately.. "are changed".
Speaking purely on democracy grounds..
1/ 68% of Australians claim Christianity.
2/ The Lords prayer has been there since the beginning.

If you can show 30% of Australians are Christian..then your argument against tradition has more weight.
Be assured, the only thing I say about it is a 'feel good' element. I cannot support it on Biblical grounds.

Why do you say I don't consider the feelings of those who don't share 'my dogma'? Given the above argument, it might also be said that supporters of abandoning the LP are exactly that (inconsiderate) no?

PELICAN (again) 'my' opinions as a bloke don't have much going for them :) I prefer highter wisdom which can change lives.

Poly/Boaz

IN the 2006 census approximately 63% of Australians ticked box marked christian. The vast marjority of the "christians" who may or may not be active and practising, are Anglican and Catholic.

A very tiny minority are extreme fundamentalist christians like yourself. Most are like Foxy - moderate and considerate of other people.

You do not hold the balance of power here, and even if you did, that doesn't mean saying the Lord's Prayer at the beginning of each parliamentary session is appropriate or even useful.

And you ARE a member of a minority extremist sect, Poly/Boaz - check my post on how to recognise yourself here:

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2236&page=0#48925

examinator
Thank you - I read your posts and think the same thing. You have a way of saying exactly what I am thinking at times, and wish I could say it equally as well. :)

Polycarp
The trouble is that one can cherry pick passages of the Bible or events throughout history where Christians have not always behaved with purity or compassion.

I am not arguing for or against Islam, I only point out that your judgement of Islam is based on highly selective material.

" The Quran...CURSES Christians Jews BY NAME.. and...FOR...their core beliefs.(as understood by Mohammad at the time of writing.
9:30 Please read this."

I'll take your word for it Poly. I am not advocating for any religion to be able to curse or disrespect others - just the opposite.

Aren't there passages in the Bible that do similar in disrespecting others' beliefs?

"(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)" (Exodus 34:14)

A quick Google found this: http://www.submission.org/god-bible.html
which shows how similar the Bible and the Koran are.

I am thankful that we do live in a nation where people are free to go about their business without fear of being arrested or worse, for failure to adhere to one particular doctrine. Or a nation where women can go around without head-dress without fear of judgement or perhaps stoning. These behaviours are aberrations of a faith which has been distorted by powerful men such as the Taliban who do not represent the majority of Muslims.

Regarding higher wisdom - that is fine but in the context of this forum it would be refreshing for some personal insight. Is is there any part of your life that you choose to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do? I cannot believe that you would commit an awful act suddenly if you were to find out one day that there is no God - you have a higher functioning brain and can make these decisions for the good of mankind.