Could someone point to one country that has some Muslim population that has not had trouble with them.

Could someone point to one country that has some tall people in the population that has not had trouble with them?

Dear AJ Philips,

I take back the "dishonest" part: you are not acting dishonestly since you simply follow the herd... and the herd is blind.

<<You have still not provided any reason for anyone to take what you say any more seriously>>

But that wasn't my intention: why would I enter a full-on theological discussion in a session devoted to Islam, Koran, ISIS, etc.? This is hardly the time and place, besides I am not an evangelist in nature. I am here to protect the freedom of religion, not to convince anyone who isn't already religiously inclined. I admit that I do occasionally get carried away by questions addressed to me, but only because I want to be polite and satisfy the asker.

A lot of people may believe they’ve been abducted by aliens, but while they may be mistaken, they are not branded as "terrorists", "woman-haters", "money-grabbers" or "child-molesters" as a result. The way the word 'religion' is abused by those who do not believe in religion, has turned derogatory.

<<I’ll say that I don’t believe that what you refer to as “religion” has any validity. But I’ll still use the term in its universally accepted context when necessary.>>

Universally? No, religious people do not use it that way.

What modernism does is to attach a completely new meaning to an old word which is dear to the hearts of a significant section of the population and is still in active and meaningful use amongst them. The new meaning refers instead to certain large cultural/tribal groups/organisations (without even a clear definition, as Constance for example excludes cults), that despite the modern conviction that none of those groups/organisations lead to God, go figure. Subsequently, abuses (some justified) are showered on those groups/organisations with no consideration toward those who answer the original meaning of the word, who do not deserve this derogatory (and at times even threatening) language.

If your intent is to mock the Muslim and other cultures, their books and their establishments, then please find other words to make it very clear whom it is that you criticise.

(continued...)

(...continued)

<<how did you rule out any of the above rational explanations for religious experiences?>>

Sigh, that's the kind of questions I wasn't intending to get into on this particular topic, but since you asked:

The question unfairly assumes that the explanations of scripture are irrational while the neurological explanation, that which claims that one's experiences are derived from the brain, is rational: the brain is a fine physical mechanism, but there are billions of those just on this planet. Why should you have an experience because some electrical-current or biochemical reaction occurs in one of them, but not in the others? You may believe so, but it's at least as irrational!

<<Again, it's not dishonest when it adheres to everyone else’s agreed upon definition of religion.>>

But it's not true that everyone else agreed so. That agreement is essentially between those who believe that religion doesn't exist, thus they feel free to recycle the word for another use.

I do apologise and accept that you haven't done so deliberately.

Dear Hippie,

<<Islam by its very nature is stuck, it cannot evolve or change because doing so would be going against Allah's instructions, as revealed by Mohammed. Islam is 'the religion' and Muslims are its followers.>>

Islam as we know it is a package, not a religion. That package includes much rubbish, but hidden in that garbage is also the gem of religion - peaceful as any other. Those who see themselves as Muslims today, are unable to follow Mohammed because they have no access to what he really said, including Allah's instructions. Some of it seems still to be there and shines through, but sadly it's highly censored and contaminated by the evil political aspirations of Abu Bakr and his gang.

Muslims who understand this (and we should do our best to help them to understand), can therefore become unstuck by ignoring the garbage and holding only onto those parts within Islam that are pure.

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Dear Foxy,

Thank you for bringing the article about the refused mosque-building.

It is shocking.

It makes me feel like in Germany of the early 1930's.

It is also stupid: what more can divert people from terrorism and violence than sincere and devoted prayers to Allah? What more can drive people into terrorism and violence than denying them the space to worship?

When one remembers five times a day that Allah is merciful and benevolent, when one humbles themselves in the presence of Allah, with shoes off and head touching the ground, that purifies the heart and drives it away from worldly and political ambitions.

No gods exist.