callmeslick wrote:from the New Advent(Catholic online encyclopedia):
"Nevertheless, with every allowance for exaggeration, Mohammed is shown by his life and deeds to have been a man of dauntless courage, great generalship, strong patriotism, merciful by nature, and quick to forgive. "
doesn't quite sound like Will's description does it? Oh, and the site I named above clearly elaborates that many views of who Mohammed was and stood for are shaped by those their either revere him or revile him and thus are suspect. The words above are attributed to a more scholarly,dispassionate work done by a couple of Catholic scholars.
Bottom line is this--trying to judge who Mohammed was, or what Islam is, when you clearly do not attempt to study the culture, religion or tribal nature of the Arabian peninsula is suspect, at best. And, sorry, but those of you doing the condemnation here have shown me nothing that indicates you are making judgement based upon a standard Protestant view that dates back to Martin Luther.
Nice try slick but as I told you I know a little about it and it doesn't come from a standard Protestant view...I don't think much of my perspective can be traced to standard anything organized religion.
I've studied the text books from Saudi schools from the 1990's, read the lessons about how you can lie to an infidel and it isn't a lie in allah's eyes, etc. How the Jew is the root of much evil in the world.
I've observed the paths of a couple of Muslim cousins who moved here and became our classmates and friends around 1980 when I was in high school.
We heard their version of how life compares here in a melting pot of ideals compared to Beirut which was quite cosmopolitan itself back then considering the region yet the culture/religion "
was a strangle" according to my friend and we watched as he turned into an average american guy and his cousin went back to fight in Lebanon because his god was being threatened by Jews, much to the dismay of his family. I think he died within a few years of his return, his family doesn't know where he is or what happened to him.
After 9-11-2001 I got very interested in the region and have read a bit and paid attention to a lot of sources of info especially the live ones who lived there.
You have more than just a touch of condescending superiority in your constant reminders that 'we aren't smart enough, 'we don't know enough', to comment on current events. I think you should run for office with a D by your name, you already have the attitude down pat.