Answering Islam 3819

1MAN4ALL

Unfortunately I don't have the time to explore the site in depth, in fact I've spent too long playing in usenet tonight, I need to work tomorrow but hey, the religion of the Drunken Jedi calls for drinking and that is what's kept me going tonight, far be it from me to defy my religion.

And if you are so polarised by your own opinion you are the only one who will ever have the 'right' answers for yourself. I tend to play devil's advocate (probly a bad choice of terms in a religious discussion, but hey, poo happens), but I'm more than happy to be open-minded about something if the loot is shown to me, I'm not going to read a bible however to find a verse someone claims is in there, equally I'm not going to prowl an entire in-depth website to find something you tell me is there "somewhere". Feel free to point me to exactly what you're talking about if you feel the inclination.

I agree entirely, there's too much in the way of peeing contests in usenet, and I'm probably more guilty than most at perpetuating these, but that's the way I am. If people hate one group, I poo on their group using the same grounds they used to poo on afore-mentioned group. It clears up hypocrisy to the open-minded, and spotlights hypocrites when they aren't open-minded. But all of us have our own dose of hypocrisy, none of us is free of that sin.

I never had any thought that you were, in fact I thought your post was pretty damn friendly considering bugger all else is in the current anti-Muslim hysteria plaguing usenet, I was actually trying to do the right thing in return, but I tend to be pretty blunt about my opinions, but even after reading back over it I don't think I really said anything offensive, just a statement on my view of things.

You'd be welcome, got no problem with people that want to pop around and yack and have a beer, the beer ain't obligatory if you don't drink, just don't be offended when I have one.

And neither of us knows who's doing better out of that deal. :)

I may have to re-evaluate my views on that one (after a bit more reading, and not just of posts in usenet) as there are a number of other replies that indicate the same, and at least one of them I trust as probly knowing what he's talking about. Regardless though, my original point still stands, before it went from the spoken to the written word what happened to it??? Mohammed never wrote it all down himself, what personal issues influenced what was written?? And at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter what is written, it's more about how it is interpreted and used (or mis-used). Religion is a powerful thing, that can be used for both good and evil, and we see both from all religions every day.

Not me, all I expect is for them to treat everyone else with respect and not force their beliefs upon others. I don't care if it's religion, politics or whatever-the-f***-else, every person is his own person, and providing that person doesn't mess with other people why mess with that person? And to say "most Americans and Europeans" are like that is stereotyping, is it any different than saying "most people from the Middle-East would rather blow people up in religious conflicts rather than talk about it"? There is probably just as much basis for such a comment. Note I don't say most Muslims, most Muslims are Asian, and they don't seem to have that problem and hence don't have that image, except in the naive minds of many Westerners who haven't got the brains to distinguish the difference (oh poo, now I'm stereotyping, see what I mean up the top about hypocrisy being in all of us?)

Now you're way off track if you're attributing that sort of thinking to me, I spend most of my time in here trying to f*** up people that are stupid enough to blame the acts of a few loons to all members of a religion. I don't care what the religion is.

Nor should it, any more than it should implicate their religion.

Do you approach my religion of the Drunken Jedi with an open mind??? I treat all religions (including my own) the same way.

Exactly. And regardless of how long it took, how can any man do that either, including Jesus, Mohammed, etc.etc.??? Beer is god to me. Am I any more right or wrong than any member of any other religion?

Mohammed was not God, so no, God does not speak for himself.

I don't know why, because in many cases it has. Are you saying the Taliban are exactly the same as the people that follow for instance Islam Hadhari? To me the Taliban is a prime example of religion hijacked by extremists, and the people that are trying to progress Islam Hadhari have a brain in their heads and will move with the times. The most populous Muslim nation on this planet founded itself after independence on the principle of Pancasila and despite a lot of localised religious fighting in small pockets since then have actually managed it despite a lot of political turmoil through the years, yet "stable" governments like you see in many of the Middle-East states reject the rights of others to practice their religions. Where went the tolerance?

Just like Christianity, Islam can well and truly be hijacked.

I think the bigger problem (just as in Christianity) is Muslims that "think" they know what Islam is, but reject what other Muslims think Islam is. There is no "guaranteed" truth, it's all how you take it.

try to learn what I can outside of my work sphere in between.

particular issue, and by knowledgeable Muslims I don't mean those that preach and coerce as Christian priests do, I mean the blood and bone followers.

Been hunting for the truth for years mate, and I don't think you, me or anyone else will ever really find it. Merely trying to understand one another is about as close as it gets, and to think anything else brings the term "delusions of grandeur" to mind.